A New Chapter in Buffalo

The offseason was long for some teams. There was much anticipation leading up to the Entry Draft, and just like that we’re nearing the final round. Lots of teams made significant changes to their teams leading up to the draft, and lots of futures were changed over the past week.

The Buffalo Sabres entered the draft with a multitude of picks, including the 3^rd overall selection. The Sabres decided to pick Finnish defenseman Miro Heiskanen. “Miro is an exceptional hockey player and a great young man. I have been keeping a close eye on him, and he has really impressed. We know what he brings to the table and we are very excited to have him in our system. There was a lack of defensive depth within our organization, and bringing in Miro will be a very big addition to this franchise. We will continue to monitor his progress and we anticipate it won’t take too long before he dawns a Sabres jersey”.

It was very well known the Sabres were shopping the 3^rd overall selection prior to the draft, however they decided to go ahead and use the pick. “It was no secret we were looking to see what we could have gotten for the pick. We did get some interest from various teams, but we just felt the return was just not enough to pass up on Miro. Miro was the guy we were looking at and if we were to move the pick, it would have had to be something significant”.

While there was no luck in moving the 3^rd overall selection, Buffalo was very active during the 2^nd round, moving multiple 3^rd round picks and a few late rounders to acquire picks 54 and 61 to go along with pick 40, which was their own. They selected Josh Norris (40), Alexandre Texier (54), and Jonah Gadjovich (61) with their second round selections. After the 2^nd round, it was relatively quiet for GM Martucci as he would only pick again in the 6^th round. However, once the 6^th round came around, he was busy again. Selecting Emil Bemstrom with pick 160, and then dealing his next two 6^th rounders, and a 4^th rounder next year (in 2 separate deals), which would bring in a 3^rd and 5^th round pick next year. “We had a relatively active week. Leading up to the draft the phones were relatively quiet, besides discussions for the 3^rd overall selection. However, I knew once the draft began and other GMs wanted their guys, it would be the perfect time to make some moves, and we did just that. I am extremely happy with the way things turned out. We got to bring in some much needed youth depth and we were able to stockpile more picks for next year’s draft. I will call this week a success!”

With all the movement in Buffalo during the draft, their biggest move had to have been 3 days before the draft, which saw them trade Jakub Voracek to LA in exchange for Kyle Connor and a 6^th Round pick. “I knew trading a player of Jakub (Voracek)’s caliber wasn’t going to be easy, but I knew it had to be done. I had Voracek on the block for a while now, and it was only a matter of time before I moved him. I’ve had some discussions with Jay about Voracek, but nothing ever materialized. Then he came to me with Kyle Connor, and it was something I knew would be very good for this team going forward. Voracek was a part of the Sabres since the EHE began, and we are grateful for everything he did for us and we wish him the best of luck in LA under Jay’s management. At the same time, I would love to formally welcome Kyle Connor to the Buffalo Sabres. We are headed in a direction of youth and for the future, and this, along with the draft, was the first step. The future is shaping up to be a bright one in Buffalo, and I am not done yet.”