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Sabres snag the ninth pick in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery

Another NHL Draft Lottery has come and gone, with the Sabres ending up with the ninth pick. Will they get it right for once?
ByTodd Matthews|
Dec 4, 2022; Buffalo, New York, USA; A general view of the Buffalo Sabres logo on a jersey worn by a player during a game against the San Jose Sharks at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Dec 4, 2022; Buffalo, New York, USA; A general view of the Buffalo Sabres logo on a jersey worn by a player during a game against the San Jose Sharks at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images | Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The 2025 NHL Draft Lottery is history, and the Sabres have wound up with the ninth overall pick. This is the second time in four years that the Sabres have drafted ninth overall, as you may remember that they held the same pick in 2022 when they drafted Matthew Savoie.

While the Savoie pick didn't work out as general manager Kevyn Adams shipped him to Edmonton for Ryan McLeod - a move that paid off - their other two first-round picks from 2022, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich, look primed.

Anyway, we'll see who the Sabres will select when the draft rolls around next month. But, eight teams will pick ahead of them, and they will have a direct impact on who will be available when they're on the clock. This is assuming they don't trade the pick, anyway.

How did the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery turn out?

In case you didn't already hear, you won't believe who landed the No. 1 overall pick. Check out the final results below:

  1. New York Islanders
  2. San Jose Sharks
  3. Chicago Blackhawks
  4. Utah Hockey Club
  5. Nashville Predators
  6. Philadelphia Flyers
  7. Boston Bruins
  8. Seattle Kraken
  9. Buffalo Sabres 
  10. Anaheim Ducks
  11. Pittsburgh Penguins
  12. New York Rangers
  13. Detroit Red Wings
  14. Columbus Blue Jackets
  15. Vancouver Canucks
  16. Montreal Canadiens (from Calgary)

Yep, a shocker, right? The New York Islanders now have a chance to draft a game-changing player, and you can hardly think of another franchise that needs one more, considering their aging core that will almost certainly dismantle at some point this summer.

As for the Sabres, they and their fanbase have likely grown tired of constant rebuilding. So, where does that leave them and their ninth-overall pick? A pick that probably won't be ready to take the NHL ice for at least three seasons, and you can argue the Sabres don't have three seasons to spare.

Get ready to expect the unexpected as the NHL Draft inches closer

"Expect the unexpected" may be my favorite and one of the more underused monikers in sports. General manager Kevyn Adams is nearly out of chances and he knows it, so don't be surprised if he trades this pick elsewhere as part of a package to finally bring in a game-changer capable of lifting the Sabres into the 2026 playoffs. It's where they want and need to be.

In the meantime, I'll have fun speculating who might end up wearing a blue and gold sweater come draft day. And how they can make an impact on a hockey team that is beyond starved to see a winner finally come to town.

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