Buffalo Sabres

First Round

1-7  Elias Lindholm
Position: C
Drafted 1-5 in real life

Lindholm has all the tools to become a great hockey player.  He projects to be more a playmaker rather that a sniper but that's exactly what the Sabres were looking for with this pick.  He is very creative with the puck and has excellent speed and quickness.  He also has excellent puck-handling and passing skills, with great vision and hockey sense.

"Elias was no. 5 on our list so we are really happy that he felt to us at 7" said GM Blanchard.  "He has excellent speed and quickness, great two-way upside, and can play center and wing" added GM Blanchard. "He is also a hard worker and he is not afraid to stick his nose in dirty areas."


1-13  Ryan Pulock
Position: D(R)
Drafted 1-15 in real life

Pulock projects to be a future powerplay quarterback and all-around effective blueliner.  He has good size and hockey sense.  He also has good passing and decision making skills.

"Ryan was the guy we really wanted with that pick.  The idea was to add a defenseman with top pairing potential and he is a guy we were really high on" said GM Blanchard.  "He has a brutal shot.  In fact, he has one of the best blast in this year's draft class.  His slat shot has been clocked at over 100 mph" added GM Blanchard.  "He is also an outstanding hitter in open ice and already a fierce crease-clearer."


Second Round

2-33  Ryan Hartman
Position: Right Wing
Drafted 1-30 in real life

Hartman projects to be a 2nd line center or winger.  He plays with a lot of determination on the ice and much bigger than his size indicates.  He also has good speed, hockey sense, and likes to play along the boards and crash the net.

"Even if Ryan (Hartman) went 30th in real life, we were surprised he was still available at 33 since he was projected to be selected in the 20-30 range.  We did not hesitate to pick him up when we were on the clock.  That's for sure." said GM Blanchard.  "He plays like a power forward, loves to throw his body around and can get opponents off their game" added GM Blanchard.  "He plays with a lot of grit, and is versatile enough to play either wing or center."


2-38  Tristan Jarry
Position: G
Drafted 2-44 in real life

Jarry is a hybrid athletic/positional type goaltender who likes to leave the crease and play the puck.  He is big, moves well and has very good athletic ability.  He is also mentally strong.  He does not let bad goals affect his play.

"Even if we already have a few young promising goaltenders on our roster, we were hoping that Tristan would still be available at 38.  Some GMs might think that we picked him too early considering all the good players still availalble, but our next pick was at 59, and we were pretty sure he would not have been available then." said GM Blanchard.  "Even if he played behind Laurent Brossoit in the WHL, he played extremely well in that limited role.  Some scouts even say that he was arguably the best draft-eligible goaltender this year." added GM Blanchard.  "That kid has the potential to be an all-star caliber goaltender."


2-59  Justin Bailey
Position: C
Drafted 2-52 in real life

Bailey is one of the more intriguing prospects in this year's draft class because he's loaded with talent.  He projects to be a 2nd or 3rd line center capable of sniping goals and contributing offensive numbers.    He is a very good skater despite his big stature.

"We were not really sure who would be available late second round.  We had a list of guys we really liked, and luckily for us, there was one name remaining on it when it was our turn to call out a name." said GM Blanchard.  "Justin has all the makings of a sniper.  He is strong on the puck, has good size and speed, and has a heavy shot." added GM Blanchard.  "If it was not for his injury filled season, there was a good chance that he could have been drafted in the top 30 picks."


Third Round

3-71  Jackson Houck
Position: Right Wing
Drafted 4-94 in real life

Houck is a physical player.  He is always willing to battle for the puck and go to the dirty areas of the ice.  He has good stickhandling and puck protection skills.  He also plays a strong defensive game.

"Jackson is a torpedo on the ice and he loves to hit."  Said GM Blanchard.  "He is killing penalties, blocking shots, and he's not afraid to drop the gloves if necessary.  He is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team." added GM Blanchard.  "Some GMs might have been surprised when we took him at 71 considering the fact that he went 94th in real life.  The fact is that we really wanted Jackson, and since he was projected to go early 3rd round in real life, he did not want to take any chance."


3-72  Hudson Fasching
Position: Right Wing
Drafted 4-118 in real life

Fasching projects to be a 2nd or 3rd line power forward capable of playing in all situations.  He has good size, speed, and scoring abilities.  He also has good defensive awareness and is a valuable two-way player.

"We love what Hudson brings to the table.  He is big, has excellent puck possession skill and is hard to get of the puck." said GM Blanchard.  "He has good scoring abilities and likes to crash the net" added GM Blanchard.  "Hudson was also supposed to go earlier than 118th in real life since he was projected as a late 2nd to early 3rd round pick.  Another guy that we really wanted to add to our prospects pool so we did not have any problem at all reaching for him."


Fourth Round

4-95  Juuse Saros
Position: G
Drafted 4-99 in real life

Saros was the top ranked international goaltender this year.  He plays a hybrid style but can switch to the butterfly style when necessary.  He projects to be a number one starting goalie or a strong backup.

"Juuse is considered a shorter goalie by the NHL standards but he makes up for it with fantastic athleticism." said GM Blanchard.  "What we like about him is that he is a strong competitor.  He also reads the plays well, is athletic and quick, and has good positioning." added GM Blanchard.  "It was worth it to take a chance on him".


4-101  Michael Downing
Position: D(L)
Drafted 4-97 in real life

Downing has tremendous size, great speed and a good shot.  He plays a physical and grittier game.  If he reaches his ceiling, he could become a 2nd pairing defenseman who can play in all situations.

"We had already taken five forwards, one defenseman and two goalies before that pick." said GM Blanchard.  "Our goal was to try to add a solid dman here.  We are glad that Michael was still available." added GM Blanchard.  "If he continues to improve his game, he has a chance to become a top 4 defenceman."


Fifth Round

The Sabres did not have any 5th round pick this year.

"We had three 5th rounders at the beginning of August but two of those picks have been used to get some help for the Americans.  George (Parros) and Daniel (Carcillo) will try to do some damage with our farm club.  We have a title to defend so why not try put a decent team on the ice." said GM Blanchard.