Last night, the Sabres focused on the back end of the ice. They drafted a defenseman and a center in the first round of the NHL draft with the selections of Daxon Rudolph fourth overall and Ilia Morovoz with the 20th pick. Their depth at the center position was one of their strengths a season ago.
Questions, though, remain about the wing position and whether they have enough firepower on the attack. Some of those problems began to crack through during the postseason. The wings were not prolific in the second-round loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
Currently, the Sabres have yet to re-sign wings Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn. They resigned Zach Benson. However, Benson is not a prolific goal scorer at this point in his career. They will need to find a forward to replace Alex Tuch (left via a trade) and add another piece on top of that.
With the rest of the NHL Draft about to take place, the Sabres may and should try to focus on the wing position. They are young overall, and adding a new and exciting player to move on the attack may be important for their Stanley Cup plans.
The Buffalo Sabres next pick is not under the fourth round of the draft.
It would not be surprising if they chose to address the forward position with the next pick. However, they may still look to build on their depth at defense as well. It will be interesting to see which direction they go.
They have already been active in the early parts of the off-season. The Sabres have a group of young forwards already on the roster, led by Noah Ostlund. If they do draft a young wing, they may be looking to make another trade to bring in a veteran to lead the young crop.
They may be looking to bring in a player with a high upside who can be a goal scorer. Alex Tuch left the team via a trade to the Capitals. He was a strong part of their offensive push but played poorly in the second round of the postseason.
The Sabres' main goal must be finding the right forward who could ignite the offense if defensive pressure is put on the centers. Either way, if the draft is a wing, that player will be unproven.
As they look at the second day of the draft, they may be looking at depth. But right now finding a blue-chip wing could be just as important for their long-term plans.
Add us as a preferred source on Google