The NHL Draft is right around the corner, with the first round on Friday night and then the remainder of the draft on Saturday, with all of it taking place in Buffalo. While fans from every team will be there, the Sabres are expected to have a larger contingent than most teams.
For the Sabres, they may feel the pressure to give something for the fans to cheer, and that was an idea that Jeff Marek recently floated. In an episode of The Sheet, Marek mentioned the Sabres might want to try to make a jump up the first round in the NHL and use Bowen Byram as a potential piece to make a trade like that happen.
After Marek asked who is hosting the NHL Draft this year and said this relates to the trade they just made with the San Jose Sharks, he floated a trade idea, "Could Jarmo make a big splash. How about Bo Byram and pick 20 in exchange for pick seven or nine? Never disqualify the home team's desire to do something big at home."
Buffalo Sabres should not weaken their NHL team for a big splash at the NHL Draft
On the surface, the logic makes sense, and Jarmo Kekalainen would not only like to make a big splash at the NHL Draft that his team is hosting, but it is his first NHL Draft as general manager for the Buffalo Sabres. However, if this is the big move that he makes, it will be exactly the opposite of what fans want.
For too long, fans have seen the story of building through the draft and acquiring draft capital. It was the reason they went through a 14-season playoff drought, one that just ended this past season.
If the Sabres go back to this idea of acquiring prospects and top draft picks, while simultaneously weakening their NHL roster and their chances to make the playoffs next season, it will not sit well with fans.
While the Sabres have only four picks in this upcoming NHL Draft, the Sabres need to be aggressive with those picks to add NHL-ready talent. If that means trading all their picks and the Sabres make none at this upcoming NHL Draft in Buffalo, it would sit better with fans and, frankly, be a better strategy for where the team is currently.
It should be an interesting week for the Buffalo Sabres as they are juggling several priorities. They are probably going to be one of the more active teams through the NHL Draft and leading right up to free agency on July 1st.
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