Archives for June 30, 2023

'“Yeah, I really feel good about (what we picked),” Adams said. “Strbak, just raw – and we think a huge upside potential – big and long. To me, just scratching the surface of what he ultimately can be. … And obviously, Gavin, we just see an upside ceiling when you can get someone – right shot D, 6-foot-2 – to me, is going to just put all the work that you have to put in to play … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Day 2 draft haul led by defensemen, ‘impact’ goalie and power forwards

'Adams said Quinn was “sprinting and working on explosiveness, which is what we want him to be doing.” Just a bad freak of an injury that comes with major ramifications. The Sabres aren’t hoping to be a playoff team next season, they expect to be one. But their margin for error still appears to be small. Major injuries could be one clear problem.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Jack Quinn’s injury is the kind of unexpected lightning bolt the Sabres don’t need

'Among Buffalo-area players, only Justin Bailey (No. 52 in 2013) was selected higher by the franchise than McCarthy. After a tour at Boston University, where he will play with older brother Case, he will look to join Patrick Kaleta (348 games) and Marcus Foligno (347 games) as Buffalo natives drafted by the Sabres who played prominent time for the club.' … [Read more...] about Clarence Center’s Gavin McCarthy drafted 86th overall by Sabres

'The Sabres were impressed by Wahlberg at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship, where he had three goals and six points in seven games during Sweden's run to the silver medal. His best performances were in the semifinal and championship, as Wahlberg scored a goal in a win over Canada and added an assist in the overtime loss to the United States in the gold-medal game.' … [Read more...] about Sabres select Swedish forward Anton Wahlberg with 39th pick of draft

'His size gives him an advantage at the net. Wahlberg, a two-way center, knows how to use his size when engaging in battles to gain possession of the puck and against the boards. Jason Bukala of Sportsnet said Wahlberg “has to be watched closely every time he hits the ice. Big body forward whose pace ranges from average to surprisingly quick, especially off the rush.”' … [Read more...] about Five things to know about Sabres’ No. 39 overall pick Anton Wahlberg

'Strbak is headed to Michigan State next season, where he will play under coach Adam Nightingale. He was a former video coach for the Sabres and the brother of Jason Nightingale, Buffalo's current assistant director of scouting.' … [Read more...] about Sabres take defenseman Max Strbak at No. 45 overall

'Strbak played for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League. In his first taste of hockey in North America, Strbak made 46 appearances for the Sioux Falls Stampede, notching five goals and 13 assists. He struggled at times, finishing with a plus/minus of -20.' … [Read more...] about Five things to know about Maxim Strbak, the Sabres’ No. 45 draft pick

'Miedema was one of the seven pieces Kingston acquired in the trade for Shane Wright, the No. 4 overall pick in last year's draft by Seattle. He had a huge finish to his regular season with a pair of four-point outputs against Oshawa in the final three games. One was a a four-goal night and the other saw him collect two goals and two assists.' … [Read more...] about Sabres take Kingston winger Ethan Miedema at No. 109 overall in Round 4

'Another big-bodied acquisition for the Sabres. At 6-foot-4 and 208 pounds, Miedema can use his size and physicality to his advantage. For his size, he has strong puckhandling skills and can get around the ice. He was the fourth overall pick for Windsor in the 2021 OHL priority draft.' … [Read more...] about Five things to know about Sabres’ 109th overall pick Ethan Miedema

'Ratzlaff, 18, is listed as 6 feet and NHL Central Scouting ranked him as the fourth-best North American goalie in the draft class.' … [Read more...] about Sabres add another goalie to pipeline with fifth-round pick Scott Ratzlaff

'He's expected to play for Tri City in the USHL next season and has committed to then play for Harvard. He has played in the prestigious Foxboro Summer Prep League.' … [Read more...] about Sabres take Massachusetts high school defenseman Sean Keohane in Round 6

'NHL Central Scouting had Panocha ranked as the 114th international skater in the draft, and Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams told reporters that his scout in Eastern Europe, Frank Musil, pushed the club to use its seventh-round pick on the German defenseman.' … [Read more...] about Sabres select defenseman Norwin Panocha with their final pick of the NHL draft