RHD Available in the 2022 Draft

[Crusader1969]

Here is a list of 12 RHD, not named Nemec nor Jiricek, who have a chance to be drafted within the top 70 picks of the 2022 draft.  (At this time, the Sabres have three first round picks,  an early second round pick and and early third round pick)

Seamus Casey     U18 USNTDP    5'10     161lbs
Ryan Chesley      U18 USNTDP      6'0     194lbs
Mattias Hävelid         Linköping      5'10       172lbs
Ludvig Jansson     Södertälje       6'0       176lbs
Kasper Kulonummi     Jokerit            6'0     179lbs
Maveric Lamoureux   Drummondville    6'7    196lbs
Tristan Luneau    Gatineau             6'2  174lbs
Ty Nelson            North Bay           5'10  196lbs
Sam Rinzel      Waterloo         6'4       181lbs
Otto Salin       HIFK                   5'11     192lbs
Elias Salonsson   Skellefteå           6'1    172lb
Noah Warren     Gatineau       6'5     214lbs 

My belief is that the Sabres will be aiming at adding at least one RHD who is strong defensively but still mobile and has the ability to positively impact D zone exists. 

Each week (0r so) I will profile one of the players above. 

If you know of others who should be considered, please post. 

Nemec and Jiricek are believed to be the first two Dmen off the board this spring. Both are RHD and would require the Sabres to use their own First Rounder on them. From what I know, I think Jiricek would be the better fit for Buffalo as he is much more Defensive minded. However, his injury adds a layer to his draft ranking.

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by Crusader1969

[LGR4GM]

I'd add Sam Rinzel (6'4" 181lbs, late June bday) to your list

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/670126/sam-rinzel

[Crusader1969]

NOAH WARREN RHD   Gatineau   July 15th 2004

6’5   214lbs    Canada

Rankings 

Future Considerations     100
Bob Mckenzie 59
McKeens 98
Craig Button 45

QJMHL  46GP 4G 14A

Noah Warren is a big bruising 6’5 stay at home defender who uses his weight to advantage when in tight with an opposing player. Doesn’t bring much offensively.  

OFFENCE

Smahtscouting  “Warren will struggle to make quick decision passes and get the puck to a teammate. He doesn’t identify the best passing lane and thus draws tight pressure to him. When he has the puck and draws pressure, he isn’t the mobile type.”

Future Considerations “ dangerous when pinching in the offensive zone as he times his speed perfectly to deliver a big open ice check”

DEFENCE

Future Considerations “Standing at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, opponents do not want to go in the corner with him. His aggressive style of play is really efficient, mostly when he’s defending a direct 1-on-1 situation where he will not hesitate to close the opponent with his long reach and stop him with a heavy bodycheck”

SKATING

Smahtscouting “Isn’’t a mobile skater when he is in control of the puck. He doesn’t have the mobility to create space for himself”

Future Considerations “His skating is pretty good, not the most mobile feet but his technique makes up for it as he gains his top speed pretty quickly, thanks to his long body”

The Draft Analyst “He moves well for a big man but could stand to improve on his footwork, and occasionally he’ll force plays or skate himself into trouble.”

 

Could interest the Sabres if they want true stay at home Dman to patrol the right side of their D giving Dahlin and Power the freedom to attack with hesitation. Right now, it looks like he will be a mid to late 2nd rounder at best. Probably a bit too rich to draft him with their own 2nd round pick but would definitely be a name to consider if he is still available for them in round 3.

[Flashsabre]

Ty Nelson gives off huge Ryan Ellis vibes when you watch him play. Love the puck on his stick.

[French Collection]

45 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Ty Nelson gives off huge Ryan Ellis vibes when you watch him play. Love the puck on his stick.

Yeah, I see him a lot. He can skate and has a hard shot. He is not big but is stocky and doesn’t shy away from physical play.

The OHL year off hurt development but he came out of the gate strong and had a letter despite having never played a game in the league.

Ryan Ellis had a lot of success in Windsor and WJC. 

Nelson will be in the CHL Top Prospects game, his first real coast to coast exposure.

[Buffalonill]

Trade for a proven one we cannot wait 4-5 years 

[LGR4GM]

9 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

Trade for a proven one we cannot wait 4-5 years 

And what happens in 4 years when the proven one gets old and moves on? Drafting isn't just about the upcoming season, we need rhd regardless and this draft is deep with them. Stop trying to turn every thread into "trade stuff and get better now" thread. 

13 minutes ago, French Collection said:

Yeah, I see him a lot. He can skate and has a hard shot. He is not big but is stocky and doesn’t shy away from physical play.

The OHL year off hurt development but he came out of the gate strong and had a letter despite having never played a game in the league.

Ryan Ellis had a lot of success in Windsor and WJC. 

Nelson will be in the CHL Top Prospects game, his first real coast to coast exposure.

I also want to see his combine measurements. That said, if you want someone to pair with Power in the future, a good skating 5'10" tank seems a fit for a 6'6" tank. 

[Buffalonill]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

And what happens in 4 years when the proven one gets old and moves on? Drafting isn't just about the upcoming season, we need rhd regardless and this draft is deep with them. Stop trying to turn every thread into "trade stuff and get better now" thread. 

I also want to see his combine measurements. That said, if you want someone to pair with Power in the future, a good skating 5'10" tank seems a fit for a 6'6" tank. 

When is that day going to come ? Isn't any one sick of rebuilding for the 100th time ? We haven't been good in 20 years 

Sure use very late round picks on RHD thats fine but trade the other 2 first  and seconds for proven players 

[LGR4GM]

I think Noah Warren is going to get drafted in the 2nd simply because he's big. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

We shouldn’t worry about position. BPA is the way!  😁

[sabresparaavida]

4 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

When is that day going to come ? Isn't any one sick of rebuilding for the 100th time ? We haven't been good in 20 years 

Sure use very late round picks on RHD thats fine but trade the other 2 first  and seconds for proven players 

If you’re sick of rebuilding, I wouldn’t recommend the Tim Murray strategy, we’ve been there, tried that, and 6-7 years later still aren’t in the playoffs. 

[Buffalonill]

20 minutes ago, sabresparaavida said:

If you’re sick of rebuilding, I wouldn’t recommend the Tim Murray strategy, we’ve been there, tried that, and 6-7 years later still aren’t in the playoffs. 

Tim murray brought cancers and bad attitudes to the organization who knows what the team would have accomplished if we did make that Jets trade and sens 

[Flashsabre]

15 minutes ago, sabresparaavida said:

If you’re sick of rebuilding, I wouldn’t recommend the Tim Murray strategy, we’ve been there, tried that, and 6-7 years later still aren’t in the playoffs. 

There was nothing wrong with Murray’s plan. It was the execution that hurt the team. He brought in the wrong types of players and it continued to tank the team.

The Sabres have enough young capital that moving a prospect or pick for the RIGHT player is not a problem at all. 

The Sabres need to move forward this offseason. A couple key signings (they need to spend to get to the floor) a key trade that will help support the kids would go a long way.

starting  goalie and top 4 RHD should be the focus

[Marvin]

45 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

There was nothing wrong with Murray’s plan. It was the execution that hurt the team. He brought in the wrong types of players and it continued to tank the team.

The Sabres have enough young capital that moving a prospect or pick for the RIGHT player is not a problem at all. 

The Sabres need to move forward this offseason. A couple key signings (they need to spend to get to the floor) a key trade that will help support the kids would go a long way.

starting  goalie and top 4 RHD should be the focus

There are assets we could move -- for instance, how many young LHD do we have?  What I want is an Alex Tuch at RHD.  I will pay a premium for that kind of player.  I could stand getting a couple of Bill Hajt types on defence.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, sabresparaavida said:

If you’re sick of rebuilding, I wouldn’t recommend the Tim Murray strategy, we’ve been there, tried that, and 6-7 years later still aren’t in the playoffs. 

Murray brought in the wrong type of guys and brought them in to soon in the process.  Jack and Sam were rookies.  We have a more experienced young core in Tuch, Thomoson, Mitts, Cozens and Dahlin.  Unlike then, we know we have needs that can’t be filled adequately by our prospect pipeline.  We are desperate for a top 6 RHD and good goaltending.  UPL’s AHL save% is still under 900.  He just isn’t ready. Fitz and Bryson aren’t really 20 minute a night D.  We also have to somehow get to the cap floor.  

[sabresparaavida]

I’m not opposed to using one of the firsts and Ryan Johnson in a trade for a proven RD IF there is a quality option. I don’t think spending 2 firsts and our second is a wise move, those are likely to be key depth when we do ice a good team.

[LGR4GM]

3 hours ago, sabresparaavida said:

If you’re sick of rebuilding, I wouldn’t recommend the Tim Murray strategy, we’ve been there, tried that, and 6-7 years later still aren’t in the playoffs. 

 

3 hours ago, Buffalonill said:

Tim murray brought cancers and bad attitudes to the organization who knows what the team would have accomplished if we did make that Jets trade and sens 

 

3 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

There was nothing wrong with Murray’s plan. It was the execution that hurt the team. He brought in the wrong types of players and it continued to tank the team.

The Sabres have enough young capital that moving a prospect or pick for the RIGHT player is not a problem at all. 

The Sabres need to move forward this offseason. A couple key signings (they need to spend to get to the floor) a key trade that will help support the kids would go a long way.

starting  goalie and top 4 RHD should be the focus

 

2 hours ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

There are assets we could move -- for instance, how many young LHD do we have?  What I want is an Alex Tuch at RHD.  I will pay a premium for that kind of player.  I could stand getting a couple of Bill Hajt types on defence.

 

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Murray brought in the wrong type of guys and brought them in to soon in the process.  Jack and Sam were rookies.  We have a more experienced young core in Tuch, Thomoson, Mitts, Cozens and Dahlin.  Unlike then, we know we have needs that can’t be filled adequately by our prospect pipeline.  We are desperate for a top 6 RHD and good goaltending.  UPL’s AHL save% is still under 900.  He just isn’t ready. Fitz and Bryson aren’t really 20 minute a night D.  We also have to somehow get to the cap floor.  

 

2 hours ago, sabresparaavida said:

I’m not opposed to using one of the firsts and Ryan Johnson in a trade for a proven RD IF there is a quality option. I don’t think spending 2 firsts and our second is a wise move, those are likely to be key depth when we do ice a good team.

Omg! Start your own freaking thread an stop making every thread about this crap. 

Idc what Tim Murray did. I don't give a ***** anymore. I do care about someone trying to talk about defenders in this draft. Start your own thread, it's not even hard. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Lighten up Francis.

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[Buffalonill]

[Curt]

4 hours ago, Buffalonill said:

When is that day going to come ? Isn't any one sick of rebuilding for the 100th time ? We haven't been good in 20 years 

Sure use very late round picks on RHD thats fine but trade the other 2 first  and seconds for proven players 

When it comes down to it, this thread is about RHD in the 2022 Draft.

If you don’t want to talk or learn about RHD in the 2022 Draft, then you don’t need to read or post in this thread.

If you want to talk about trading for a proven top-4 RHD for the upcoming season there are other threads for that.  It’s pointless for you to come post about it in here.

[Crusader1969]

5 hours ago, Buffalonill said:

When is that day going to come ? Isn't any one sick of rebuilding for the 100th time ? We haven't been good in 20 years 

Sure use very late round picks on RHD thats fine but trade the other 2 first  and seconds for proven players 

Here’s a suggestion - don’t read a draft thread.   Simple solution 

[Marvin]

As we get close to the draft, could we have a break down of the players' strengths and weaknesses?  How sound are they in the defencive zone?  How are they at clearing the crease?  How good are their zone exits?  How well do they read an oncoming rush?  When they jump into a rush, how risky is that manoeuver?

[Digger]

Maybe it's just me but I think this team would be foolish to draft any player (at any position) that is not an elite mobile skater in the game that the Sabres are trying to play.  I get cold feet on any player that lists skating as needing work.  Yes skating can always be improved with coaching but by the time of the NHL draft this is generally set on knowing what you'll be getting.

For the RHD listed at the start of the thread Ryan Chesley would be a nice mid first round pick for the Sabres.

The Sabres have needs for good top 4 RHD now.  Drafting Nemec or Jiricek would give them a player that could transition to the NHL pretty quickly, others will take time to develop filling the pipeline but not helping immediately.  Stating the obvious.  We will need a veteran top 4 RHD for next season regardless in my opinion.  I hope Kevin Adams is able to make this happen.

And just to touch all the bases on this thread, I don't care who ex GM Tim Murray would draft or trade for.  😏

[Crusader1969]

ELIAS SALOMONSSON  RHD    Skellefteå   August 31 2004

6’1   172lbs    Sweden

Rankings 

 #29 by FCHOCKEY
#33 by TSN/BOB McKENZIE
#78 by MCKEEN'S HOCKEY
#62 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
#21 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (EU Skaters)
#32 by RECRUIT SCOUTING
#26 by DOBBERPROSPECTS
#26 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY
#51 by SMAHT SCOUTING
#15 by THE PUCK AUTHORITY

J20 Sweden  35GP 11G 11A

Salomonsson came into the 2022 Draft year as a potential top 10 pick, drawing comparisons to John Klingberg. He was the first 2004 born to play in the SHL and captained Sweden at the 2021 Hlinka Tournament. However, his defensive deficiencies have moved him down the rankings

 

OFFENCE

Swedishpropsects.com “Salomonsson uses his mobility to be a constant threat in the offensive zone. He is a gifted playmaker that operates from the blueline, always ready to display his heavy one-time slapshot and sneaky wrister.”

Future Considerations “He moves the puck so well, if not with his feet, with his passing. He finds teammates with ease, with hard, accurate passes”

Scott Wheeler The Athletic “He moves well in all four directions, he involves himself in a lot of plays offensively, he’s got room and runway to fill out his frame, and most of his finer skills (like his shot and his control) get good grades. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a 6-foot-1 righty either.

DEFENCE

Future Cosiderations “ the defensive zone, he has the talent to be a force against opponents, but can position improperly to make himself a non-factor.

The Athletic “ He’s got work to do to tighten up his positioning and his reads but the things he needs to work on tend mostly to be about reps and maturity. I like his comfort level under pressure and confidence for a player as young as he is.”

SKATING

Swedishprospects.com “Elias Salomonsson is at his best during offensive transition where he uses his skating to carry the puck up ice. Starting already behind his own net, he has the ability to take a few quick strides to distance himself from a forechecker. Whether he distributes the puck or transports it on his stick, his manoeuvrability is an asset during offensive rushes”

Future Considerations “His skating is high-end, from his effortless acceleration to his exceptional use of crossovers, to his strong, full extensions”

 

Salomonsson entered the season with hopes of being a top 10 prospect but hasn’t been able to reach that standard. It does seem that after a slow (disappointing) start to the season, his play has picked up recently.  Still has a strong chance to be a first round pick, most likely in the 20’s.  His a puck moving D-man with offensive skills that would intique the Sabres. Reminds me a bit of Jokiharhu and Im not sure the Sabres would want to add another RHD in a similar mold. However, if he is still on the board late in round 1 or early in round 2, the value may be too good to pass over.

[Crusader1969]

On 3/12/2022 at 9:58 PM, Digger said:

Maybe it's just me but I think this team would be foolish to draft any player (at any position) that is not an elite mobile skater in the game that the Sabres are trying to play.  I get cold feet on any player that lists skating as needing work.  Yes skating can always be improved with coaching but by the time of the NHL draft this is generally set on knowing what you'll be getting.

For the RHD listed at the start of the thread Ryan Chesley would be a nice mid first round pick for the Sabres.

The Sabres have needs for good top 4 RHD now.  Drafting Nemec or Jiricek would give them a player that could transition to the NHL pretty quickly, others will take time to develop filling the pipeline but not helping immediately.  Stating the obvious.  We will need a veteran top 4 RHD for next season regardless in my opinion.  I hope Kevin Adams is able to make this happen.

And just to touch all the bases on this thread, I don't care who ex GM Tim Murray would draft or trade for.  😏

I would tend to agree with you, however Samuelsson was not thought of as a mobile defender, just that his skating was just "good enough"   If a defender is smart in knowing how to use body position and has a good stick, he can over come mobility concerns.  however, i wouldnt want them to draft a pilon either. My readings on Warren is that he has pretty good mobility for a 6'5 dman.

and yes 100%   drafting a RHD does not exclude the Sabres from trading for or signing someone for immediate help.  Not sure how some people, not to mention names but we all know who, can confuse the issue 🙂