There is a discourse going on about whether or not the Buffalo Sabres should trade or keep their draft picks in 2024. While both arguments are valid, as they are in a “win now” mode, trying to get fans back in the seats and the team back into the playoffs, rushing to get there has been problematic in the past.
Former general manager Tim Murray felt it was time to “win now” in 2015 when he started making moves and trading away prospects and assets left and right. It crippled the franchise to such a point that they continue to sit outside the postseason to this day. This is where I preach patience above all else – just because the team has draft capital to spend it does not mean they have to spend it.
add to that group will only help them become more competitive. A franchise that has shown no capacity for winning is not an attractive trade or free-agent destination, so developing its own top-end talent is a more viable option. That is where the Sabres need to focus their efforts, and in the upcoming draft, they must continue to be smart and grow their prospect pool.
NHL Prospects Do Not Always Develop
For every Braden Point in the NHL, there is an Alex Nylander; for every Linus Ullmark, there is a Jack Campbell. Prospects are a guessing game, and scouts and general managers do their best to pick the players they think have the most potential to fit their system and build that player up within that system.
The Sabres have a deep forward prospect group and will likely move on from a few of them in the coming years as those players no longer fit the system or are moved to fill areas of need; however, many of them will remain with the organization as they are molded into the roster. Bigger names like Matt Savoie, Jiri Kulich, and Noah Ostlund are thrown around all the time, but lesser-known forward prospects like Tyson Kozak, Anton Wahlberg, Alexander Kisakov, and Viktor Neuchev could all fill in the middle and bottom six to round out the roster if those spots cannot be filled via free agency long term.
Taking the time to develop players and commit to them long-term is what makes a team successful. Yes, it is always great to have that shiny first-round pick turn into a star player. But in the playoffs, a depth player who can be relied on in defensive situations, in the face-off circle, provide offense, or play in any scenario is what will put a team over the top. The Sabres will be hard-pressed to find that anywhere other than the draft, and by using their picks in 2024, they will give themselves the best opportunity to find those players and retain them for years down the road.
Who Should the Sabres Pick?
The Sabres have eight picks in the 2024 Draft, including two picks in the fourth round and two in the seventh round (one of those could become a fifth-round pick if the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup), so half of their picks are in the later rounds. This should give them an opportunity to find long-term investment players and restock their defensive prospect pool.
As of 2023-24, most of their high-end defensive prospects have already graduated to the NHL, and they are left with Maxim Strbak, Nikita Novikov, and Vsevolod Komarov as their top three defensive prospects. All three are solid, but they are still works in progress. Using some of their early to middle-round picks (between the second and fourth rounds) to add some blueliners to their organization would be great.
With their first-round pick, I expect them to be looking at another high-end forward prospect to add to their group. There are no guarantees that a prospect will develop into an NHLer, and giving themselves another roll of the dice with a high-end forward would be a good thing for the Sabres. A player like Berkly Catton or Cole Eiserman would be great options with their 11th overall pick.
With their potential fifth-round pick (which, again, they will only have if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup) and down to the seventh round, they could select a goaltender and some forwards. Having young forwards in the system is always beneficial, especially without any pressure to bring them up right away. The Sabres also only have one decent goalie prospect in their system, Scott Ratzlaff. Topias Leinonen has fallen off significantly, and the odds of him regaining his status as a former second-round pick are slim at this point. The Sabres would be wise to choose another young goalie to compete with Ratzlaff to help keep the goalie pipeline strong.
Sabres Do Not Have to Sacrifice Future to Win Now
Ultimately, using all of their picks in the draft comes down to the simple fact that they have a lot of good pieces on the roster right now. Their forward group is strong and only needs a good boost from the coaches, their defensive core is young and talented, and only needs more experience and structure, and their goaltending tandem looks solid. Adding players by trading away draft picks is possible, but using those picks to further deepen their organization for the future makes more sense.
Related – Sabres Free Agency Plans: Players To Avoid
Winning now does not mean they have to give up on the building blocks for their future. To sustain a competitive roster, the Sabres will need prospects who continue to grow and develop as part of the team culture and its brand. Bringing up young players through the development system is the best way to get them to buy into the system. Buffalo still has a lot of work to do before they are contenders, but making sure they use their picks and draft the right players for their organization is the best start.
