He was an off-the-board selection, as he was unranked on many mock drafts and was listed at No. Power projects as a star all-situations NHL defenseman who wont land on highlight reels but will play tough minutes and drive play. Another skilled undersized forward is added to the system.With the first pick of day two, we welcome Prokhor Poltapov to the Sabres!#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/0jw1iEFZNa Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 24, 2021, With the first pick of day two, we welcome Prokhor Poltapov to the Sabres!#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/0jw1iEFZNa. There is plenty of time for the team to add veteran pieces to areas of need like goalie and right defense. His performance with the Wolverines earned him a nod as a 2022 Mike Richter award semifinalist for best NCAA goalie an award fellow Sabres prospect Devon Levi won. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. The Sabres made a lower level trade yesterday adding Riley Stillman from Vancouver for prospect Josh Bloom. It was Isak Rosn. Lets meet the Sabres draft class of 2021. The Sabres dont want to be in the high-end rental market. In a sentence, Nadeau projects as a hardworking bottom-six NHL winger whose skating will be tested at higher levels. Jack Quinn is one of the AHLs best scorers. Head coach Don Granato has made this team an extremely tough opponent to play night in and night out since he arrived late in the 2020-21 season. He also played for Team Canada at the World Championships, having three assists in 10 games. The LA Kings have bolstered the goaltending pipeline for the future, with the acquisition of the rights to goaltending prospect Erik Portillo from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2023 third-round draft selection. The move comes at a particularly important time as the Sabres top defenseman, Rasmus Dahlin, is out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Adams was in the same position last offseason and elected instead to give out the "Buffalo Special" a bunch of one-year contracts under $1 million. Like the netminders, Rosen, Bloom and Nadeau will have benefitted from a season in Rochester by 2024. 53): Kisakov was a top scorer at the Russian junior level and a main reason his MHL team won the league title. Here's some insight into how the Sabres look heading into the offseason. But the organization seems to be in a Kozak projects to play in an energetic, defensive-minded support role, according to Kris Baker. He was a standout in the Russian Junior Hockey League (MHL), putting up 25 goals and 51 points in 61 games for Krasnaya Armiya Moskva. In 2019-20, he only averaged 10 minutes of ice time per game for the Saginaw Spirit. Jerry Forton, director of amateur scouting for the team, is not concerned about Power taking either avenue. WebSabres' depth, talent at forward strengthened by adding Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs In addition to acquiring draft choices in 2022 (first round, albeit top 10 protected) and 2023 (second He can wind pucks up through the neutral zone with speed, and often takes it wide and drives right to the net. The 67th overall pick is currently with Michigan and was expected to become a free agent at the end of this season if the Sabres did not come to an agreement with him. Sign up for our regular 'Sabres Newsletter' for all the latest. Two strong candidates emerged for captain as the season went along. With Anderson, Dustin Tokarski and Malcolm Subban all free agents, the Sabres might need to add multiple veterans to the roster. The left-winger from Oakville hasnt played an organized hockey game since he was 16 years old. That turned out to be the case, but this team is obviously in a much different position in the playoff race than it was a year ago. Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. Their departures would create room for Rosen, Bloom and Nadeau. So the Sabres should add someone capable of splitting the net with him. Power complements Rasmus Dahlin, who is a pure skill and playmaking type, as a more well-rounded player who can project to be a tough minutes NHL defenseman and likely be on Buffalos second power play due to Dahlin. He has a lot of flaws though, between an awkward skating stride, lacking top-level playmaking and finishing ability and not being good off the puck. In fact, one of the teams first moves of the offseason was to trade for goaltender Ben Bishop, who isnt going to continue his career because of a knee injury. They have three goalie prospects with a chance to play. Previously, Corey worked in a similar role at ESPN. The Sabres also have potential captains in Cozens and Dahlin. That said, when you have three first-round picks, you have plenty of flexibility. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Ducks Its the Sabres final game before the trade deadline on Friday. Before the draft, he was asked by TSN about the possibility of playing for the team. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen should be ready to step into a bigger NHL role in the fall, but hes still unproven at this level and has run into unfortunate injury luck. Just because they have the cap space doesnt mean theyll be throwing it at the top unrestricted free agents. He also played for Russia at the WJC-18 and put up five assists in seven games.With the 188th overall pick, we select Nikita Novikov.#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/n9FdzPRFW2 Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 24, 2021, With the 188th overall pick, we select Nikita Novikov.#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/n9FdzPRFW2. Gambling problem? Restricted free agents: forwards Cozens, Bjork, Thompson, Asplund and Ruotsalainen; defensemen Bryson, Samuelsson and Laaksonen; goalie Luukkonen. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. However, this offseason is different. Hes OK off the puck, but he doesnt shy from making plays to the net. A future defense structured around Rasmus Dahlin and Power will soon be among the NHLs best. Here is how the draft protection for the top-10 pick will work, per ESPN. The LA Kings have bolstered the goaltending pipeline for the future, with the acquisition of the rights to goaltending prospect Erik Portillo from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2023 third-round draft selection. (from, Sabres pleased with their draft haul, from Owen Power to a run on Russians: I think we took a big stepThe Athletic, 07/25/21), Related: Sabres Owen Power Pick Makes Prospect Pool on Defense Even Deeper. The team also has a second, a third, a fourth, fifth, two sixths and a seventh. Its never hurt a player to go back for a second year in college, Forton said. 95): Josh Bloom is a winger with good puck skills and size who can play in the interior parts of the offensive zone. I question if he will be a go-to power play type, but I can for sure see him on PP2 and can be PP1 in a pinch. The Buffalo Sabres have added a little bit of defensive depth, acquiring Riley Stillman from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for prospect Josh Bloom. Oilers While he was on the ice at five-on-five, the Sabres allowed eight high-danger chances and generated only three. Jack Quinn, the Sabres first-round pick in the 2020 draft (eight overall), comes in at No. University of Minnesota defenseman Ryan Johnson and University of Michigan goalie Erik Portillo could be used as trade chips as well and would make the value of a mid-round pick in Portillos case and possibly a second or third-rounder in Johnsons case. 9 overall in the draft. 8. After handing out a bunch of one-year deals last summer, there are a number of Sabres hitting free agency in 2022. The team also has a second, a third, a fourth, fifth, two sixths and a seventh. In 14 starts for Northeastern, Levi has five shutouts and a .949 save percentage. We know our game. Adding the 6-foot-6 Power and the 6-foot-4 Samuelsson greatly transforms the Sabres blue line. The Sabres may have to look outside the organization for extra help up front, though they hope secondary prospects Brett Murray, Linus Weissbach and Matej Pekar become NHL players. His skating isnt explosive, but his stride and edgework are excellent, and he can evade pressure very well. His skating is fine, lacking true top quickness youd like at his size for the NHL and hes not that dynamic offensively. Sabres 2022 NHL Draft picks GM Kevyn Adams has 10 draft picks to work with this summer most importantly, three first-round picks. According to Natural Stat Trick, Power led the Sabres with three turnovers. Corey Pronman grades how the team performed at the 2021 NHL Draft, and details what to The additions of Power and Quinn alone would be tantalizing, but Krebs and Peterka could also make an immediate impact. The Sabres dont want to fill their roster with too many costly veterans that could block those players from ice time. #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/ldTCaYO6Ok Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 24, 2021, Welcome to the Sabres, Olivier! Tuch looked and sounded like captain material from the moment he arrived in Western New York as part of the Eichel trade. The downside of the Sabres overachieving this season is that their first-round pick isn't as high as anticipated. Marjala is a skilled two-way winger that will take some time to develop. Vegas' pick is much higher than expected with the team missing the playoffs, so that's a bonus for Buffalo. The Sabres now have 9 picks in the 2023 draft - will Adams package one or more of those at the trade deadline on Friday to bring in a player (or two?) Will the Sabres be big spenders in free agency? The new RFAs for 2024-25 are scheduled to include Power, Quinn, Krebs, Peterka, Mittelstadt, Dahlin, Jokiharju and Johnson, so the Sabres better have plenty of cap space available. He controls pucks quite well, though, and makes tough plays in small areas. The last time the Sabres had three first-round picks in one draft was 2015. Novikov has a chance to play in the NHL due to his size and sense but needs more pace in his game. Still, Granato seems to think its wise not to stray too much from that. He was also electric in the postseason, putting up five goals and 10 points in 14 games. 1 pick. I think both Isak Rosen and Prokhor Poltapov will become useful scoring wingers in the NHL, and both Aleksandr Kisakov and Olivier Nadeau have solid chances to play games. Marjala can make plays through defenders but lacks the quickness to execute those kinds of plays on the move. Powers collegiate career will end after Michigans season no matter what, and hes shown hell be ready for the NHL. Ville Husso will also be available. Owen Power, the No. The Panthers' pick will be at the bottom of the first round. Vladislav Gavrikov, Dmitry Orlov, Mattias Ekholm, Jake McCabe, Luke Schenn, Jack Johnson and Kevin Shattenkirk are among the defensemen who have already been traded. So what are their options to add? WebSabres sign 2021 first-round pick Isak Rosen, walk away from three prospects. He had five shutouts and a .921 save percentage while playing in 57 games this season. #LetsGoBuffalo | @UMichHockey pic.twitter.com/u15fjFw6co. That has put Jack Quinn on the top line and given Vinnie Hinostroza another opportunity in the NHL lineup. #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/83QgDlkxZ2. Buffalo drafted Portillo in the third round of the 2019 draft. Although Jack Eichel was not traded, the team has a stronger prospect pool moving forward. Power will be 21. The LA Kings have bolstered the goaltending pipeline for the future, with the acquisition of the rights to goaltending prospect Erik Portillo from The Kraken are likely heading to the playoffs, but Carson Soucys name has come up in trade talks because hes in the final season of his contract and has value as a 28-year-old, proven defenseman. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. The good news for the prospects is no one will block their path. This is a growth opportunity. And being closer to the salary cap floor lines up with where this team is in its rebuild. Bryan Murphy is an NHL content producer at The Sporting News. The Sabres Big Board: Final 2022 NHL Draft Rankings Austin gives his final rankings ahead of next weeks draft. CAP HIT. They wanted the leadership on the team to develop organically. In various mock drafts, he ranked anywhere between 21st to 104th overall, which is quite fascinating. There is risk involved, but Adams showed faith in the teams Russian scouting last summer. With Adams emphasizing culture during this build, getting this decision right is important. It may be a stretch to count on them as early as 2024, but theyve matured well so far. Of course, as I mentioned before, Adams can't blow through all his cash, with some of the young pieces of this team in need of a pay raise in the next couple of summers. The team got positive returns from the Jack Eichel trade, saw promising play from players like Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power and overcame a rash of early-season injuries to put together a strong finish. Thoughts on the pick: Rosen had a great U18 worlds and quickly gained steam as a very quick, skilled goal-scorer. Overall, the Sabres drafted many skilled players that could develop into NHL players. An award-winning journalist, he has also covered minor-league hockey in Georgia, Auburn University football and taught copy editing at Buffalo State College. The youth movement is expected to make a gigantic leap next season with the top prospects shuffling off to Buffalo. Who are the best teams in NHL history to miss the playoffs? BUFFALO, N.Y. It wasn't the deal many Sabres fans have wanted or been waiting for, but they did make a deal on Wednesday. Rosen projects to play a top-six role for Sweden at the World Juniors. Sabres 2021 NHL Draft picks: Grades, fit and full scouting reports. Prokhor Poltapov, LW (No. "I think Owen Power will probably go No. He made our top 10 in terms of best puck skills in the draft. We dont want to boot somebody out to take that ice time away from a growth opportunity unless its impactful and it doesnt jeopardize our progress. But this was a team most predicted to finish with the worst record in the East, fighting for last place in the league. Tearing down a roster is easier than building one back up. The Sabres are being mindful of the cost to acquire at this time of year, so they may not want to pay a premium for a player of Soucys caliber. But he could also handle the job for a season while Alex Tuch gets to further establish himself in Buffalo. The Sabres hope at least one of the goalies will have ascended to No. Its tough to envision the Sabres adding a center considering the top two centers are locked in, and Peyton Krebs and Tyson Jost have impressed the coaching staff while playing in the middle. Nobody in the NHL seems to have a firm grasp on exactly what will happen with Russian players in the upcoming NHL Draft. Will the Sabres be big spenders in free agency? Capitals Owen Power, the No. The next one is on the road against the Bruins on Thursday. Buffalo drafted Portillo in the third round of the 2019 draft. William Von Barnekow Lofberg, C (No. However, this offseason is different. Who are the best teams in NHL history to miss the playoffs? Quinn opened his Amerks season with nine goals and 18 points in 14 games. Thats not to say that Stillman, 24, will be able to Trust me, Buffalo, it's a great time to be a Sabres fan. Odds & lines subject to change. 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