Buffalo acquired the 71st overall pick from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for the 76th and 161st picks.
The Sabres used their third round pick to select forward Brodie Zimmer, who played in 61 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program and accumulated 70 points (27+43), good for fourth on the team in points.
Ziemer, a native of Hutchinson, Minnesota, captained the U.S. team to a silver medal finish at the U-18 World Championships, recording three goals and nine assists in seven games.
The 5-foot-11, 196-pound Ziemer is committed to play at the University of Minnesota in 2024-2025.
Forton said if the Sabres hadn't moved up to acquire Ziemer, they might have had to drop about 20 spots in the draft for the next available player.
“The captain of the U.S. team has been in and out of the top six all season – for two seasons,” Forton said. “He's a player who lifts up other players and linemates and drives the culture of the whole team and program. I have no doubt – our staff has a very close relationship with the staff at the University of Minnesota – he'll be just like he was when he was at the national program. He'll be a future captain at the University of Minnesota. He'll be a force in the fallback game, but he's also got great handles around the net and is an overall good shot.”
