Buffalo Sabres And The NHL Draft
Mike Harrington and Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News: Naturally, everyone had J.J. Peterka going to Utah. No, you did not. Anyway, there is more going on in Buffalo because as Kevyn Adams put it, “they will do anything and everything to make the team better.” With the 2025 NHL Draft coming up on Friday, opportunities abound.
Now, what will Buffalo do with the number nine pick? With the Sabres making a true hockey trade for NHL talent, no picks were exchanged. Adams has a middle-six forward in Josh Doan and a Top 4 defenseman in the making (right-handed) in Michael Kesselring. Management in Buffalo has a lot to change but the most important thing is winning as soon as possible.
Adams confirmed that Alex Tuch is very much a priority. It has been something mentioned but was lower on the list of items. Bowen Byram and Mattias Samuelsson are arguably higher on the list depending on who one believes.
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The bigger questions may be still to come. For one, does Buffalo try to mimic Florida with their draft style. Do they trade down on Friday night? For what it is worth, Buffalo seems set on goaltending but everything else appears to be in flux.
The only thing certain is that Buffalo looks far from done here.
More On Buffalo And The Ninth Pick
Heather Engel of NHL.com: So, this quote says it all.
“If there’s a way to make our team better and it involved pick nine, we’ll have zero hesitation,” general manager Kevyn Adams said Tuesday. “In saying that, we also believe we’ll get a good player if we make pick nine. So, to me, that’s the exciting part of the draft, going through this process, but we’re wide open. But our focus remains the same: how do we help our team get better?”
So, Buffalo has not made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season. Adams, himself, has been in Buffalo since 2020. The Sabres, for now, have 10 picks in this year’s NHL Draft and have selected a total of 27 players the past three years.
Assistant General Manager Jerry Forton oversees amateur scouting and concurs this is no easy process. It is a hectic time all while Buffalo is trying to sort trades, draft picks, and more. This is all as free agency looms next week.
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Now, what does Buffalo do in the meantime? The management seats are not getting any colder in Buffalo.
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