With just a week until the NHL Draft, check out these mock drafts from some of our draft gurus who project the Buffalo Sabres to be No. 11. Sabres general manager Kevin Adams said he has told teams that the pick is available in a trade, yet assistant general manager Jerry Forton confirmed he has a few players in mind as potential pick acquisitions if the team stays put.
A mock draft run by savvy, attentive media scouts is the best way to know who the Sabres are targeting. Forton mentioned the consensus top five or six draft picks across the league before a group of players would be selected based on team preferences. The list included Macklin Celebriny, Artyom Levshunov, Anton Shiraev, Ivan Demidov and Kayden Lindstrom.
After picks six through 10, the Sabres have the next tier to choose from: If Buffalo sticks with picking at No. 11, Forton said he expects a seventh or eighth prospect to fall there: It ultimately comes down to preference, so the Sabres could forgo the draft and address a need while still acquiring the best player available.
Below are the players the Sabres would select 11th overall in our mock draft.
Berkley Catton
Corey Pronman Athletic Sam Cosentino Sports Net The latest mock draft projects Barkley Catton to go to the Sabres. The center out of Spokane in the WHL is a playmaker who has been compared to Zach Benson for his size and competitive spirit.
Catton would be an example of selecting the best player available, regardless of need. The Sabres have selected a forward with their last five first-round picks, but seven of their previous nine were forwards. NHL Central Scouting rates him as the eighth-best North American skater in the draft.
Unlike Benson, Catton will likely remain in junior hockey through 2024-2025 to hone his defensive skills and put on weight. He's coming off a great season with 54 goals and 116 points in 68 games, but it remains to be seen how that translates to the pro game.
Below is an excerpt from the EliteProspects 2024 NHL Draft Guide.
Whether it's receiving a pass and making a well-timed run into space to present himself as a shooting option, or luring a defender into a poke check before wrapping the puck around his stick and beating the goalie cleanly from distance, Catton always has the tools necessary for the job. He has a full arsenal of releases in his toolkit and the intelligence to use them most effectively.
Check out the latest mock draft from Corey Pronman of 'The Athletic' here.
Check out Sam Cosentino's latest mock draft on Sportsnet.
New: Sabres organizational chart updated
Carter Yachemchuk
The Sabres have a young star defenseman under contract for the long term, but their defensive line prospect pool is pretty thin, and WHL player Carter Jakemchuk from Calgary is a right-handed defenseman who could fill a big hole in the organization.
Using similar draft logic, Athletic Craig Button TSSN The Sabres traded Yachemchuk to the team. He scored 30 goals in 66 games last season and has proven he has a knack for finding open lanes in the offensive zone. He's a great prospect and needs to round out his game, and at 6'3 and 202 pounds, he has the build to do that.
According to NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, Jakemchuk is the 11th-best skater in North America, and EliteProspects also has great things to say about him in their draft guide.
Jakemchuk is able to manipulate opponents, make plays with perfect timing, and pose the occasional shooting threat to create opportunities for his teammates. His constant rush activations and weakside sprints from the offensive blue line keep him involved in the play and create a quantity and quality of chances that most defensemen don't have access to.
Check out Scott Wheeler's latest mock draft from The Athletic.
Check out Craig Button's latest mock draft on TSN.
Must read: Three key takeaways from Adams and Forton's press conference
Zayn Parekh
Zayn Parekh is another right-handed defenseman that Chris Peters likes. Flo Hockey The latest mock draft has the Sabres selecting Parekh, who is listed as the fifth-best skater in North America by NHL Central Scouting, ranked much higher than Catton and Jakemczak.
Parekh is smaller than Yachemcuk at 6-foot-tall and 178 pounds, but his offensive prowess is superior to that of the Calgary native, who recorded 33 goals and 96 points in 66 games with Saginaw in the OHL.
Peters compares Parekh's skill set to that of Bowen Byram and Rasmus Dahlin, calling him a deceptive and crafty offensive talent. Elite Prospects had this to say about the Spirit defenseman:
Parekh is a real manipulator. He doesn't wait for gaps in the defence to open up before he makes a play. He manipulates his opponents to his will and creates gaps for himself. With a combination of fakes, feints, closeouts and handling skills, he sends would-be checkers into a spin cycle, and out of the dust Parekh emerges, moving into space to improve the conditions for each play before making a decision with the puck.
Check out Chris Peters' latest mock draft on FloHockey.tv.
Video: Sabres select Marner over Eichel in 2015 redraft
