2025 NHL Entry Draft Thread, Sabres Draft 9th

[steveoath]

Is Vanek’s kid worth a punt? 

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, steveoath said:

Is Vanek’s kid worth a punt? 

Yea. Especially with all our late picks. 

[CallawaySabres]

Could Byrum next year 1st and #9 this year get a top line forward or would we have to add more?

[WhenWillItEnd66]

2 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

Could Byrum next year 1st and #9 this year get a top line forward or would we have to add more?

I would think so!! Byrum is a top 2 dman. That and 2 firsts should get a good forward!

[shrader]

23 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Yea. Especially with all our late picks. 

He has a draft eligible kid already? I just assumed his son was 3 when I read that first post. Next you’ll be telling me that Drury’s grandson is an option in the 3rd round. 

[LGR4GM]

13 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

Could Byrum next year 1st and #9 this year get a top line forward or would we have to add more?

I wouldn't trade next year's 1st for anything short of McDavid.

Cuz I still don't believe in this team until you prove it. 

[7+6=13]

3 hours ago, CallawaySabres said:

Could Byrum next year 1st and #9 this year get a top line forward or would we have to add more?

I was just going to ask something similar, but wasn't including next years.  I suppose we would then move Tage back to center?

If this is possible.

[LabattBlue]

4 hours ago, WhenWillItEnd66 said:

Byrum is a top 2 dman. 

I’ll buy top 4, top 2…nope. 

[Thorny]

Where are we scheduled to take the steal of the draft again? What’s our number? 

Edited 21 hours ago by Thorny

[Flashsabre]

I hope Byram is dealt so I can stop reading people misspell his name constantly 😁

[LGR4GM]

9 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

I hope Byram is dealt so I can stop reading people misspell his name constantly 😁

Didn't stop everyone from spelling Reinhart like drunken sailors

[MISabresFan]

8 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Yea. Especially with all our late picks. 

He can play on a line with Doan.

 

[LGR4GM]

Here we are. Draft Day.

[LGR4GM]

On 6/17/2025 at 1:34 PM, LGR4GM said:

2025 NHL Draft Rankings – Liger’s List top 32

1.      Matthew Schaefer, LHD, 6’2” 186lbs: Excellent skater with a high pace and excellent ability to end plays and transition up ice. He reminds me a bit of Dahlin, shame he only played a partial year.

2.      Michael Misa, C, 6’1” 182lbs: I thought about making him #1 but there’s some things in his game that I wonder will translate. Still he has a good shot and is able to link plays all over the ice. He’s probably on the level of Fantilli and that’s pretty good for a 2nd overall guy.

3.      James Hagens, C, 5’10.5” 186lbs: He had issues driving inside at college but the rest of this game is there with the attention to detail and the ability to make excellent passes while also skating very well. I think he’s been overscouted and ppl freaked out over his adjustment to the NCAA.

4.      Caleb Desnoyers, C, 6’1.5”* 178lbs: I saw a bit of his playoffs and that put him ahead of Martone. He doesn’t get enough credit for his offensive talent which is a direct product of him being excellent at the 200ft game. He’s better than Martone and ppl seem to be missing that he’s 25lbs under strength still. Also, centers are more valuable than wingers and I am betting on improved skating with strength.

5.      Porter Martone, LW, 6’3”* 208lbs: The pace is the concern and he does not play like Tkachuk so ppl need to stop that. He reminds me more of Reinhart coming up with more physicality but that cerebral passer with a nice shot. I think Martone needs to continue demanding the puck more and being the driver.

6.      Jackson Smith, LHD, 6’4” 199lbs: I love watching him skating sideways, it’s delightful and he has powerful strides. He is physical and really wants to push the pace all over the ice. The decision making is hit or miss which is the biggest issue here. Really intriguing package though.

7.      Carter Bear, LW/C, 6’ 179lbs*: Other than an awkward skating stride that sometimes gets in the way of his upper body, Bear is a Bear. He’s the best checking forward in this draft, his shot is undervalued, and he makes things happen. He’s the type of guy that wins playoff games because he never stops and he has all the skills (cutting hands, stick lifts, false signals) to be effective on the top 6.

8.      Roger McQueen, C, 6’5.25” 198lbs: So if the back is healed, this might be a little too low. I think there are times where he was kept to the outside and should be better at driving the middle but when he was on he was a force. He’s got some developing playmaking and his rush patterns need more variation but the size and overall skill make me think he’s at least a 2nd line center when healthy.

9.      Victor Eklund, LW, 5’11” 169lbs: He’s up there with Bear for the motor element. His rush patterns and skating are better and he did it against men in the Allsvenskan. That said, I think his playmaking need works, as good as his checking can be, he sometimes does to much or tries too much. He needs to get stronger and refine his overall game but there’s a top 6 winger in there.

10.   Justin Carbonneau, RW, 6’1.25” 205lbs: There’s 2 different Carbonneau’s in the world. There is hope passes, stick handle through everyone, get on my back boys we’re going winning. This one isn’t great because it won’t translate to the NHL. Then there is using the skills and body to extend plays, finding teammates, working the cycle and using an excellent shot to be an overall offensive weapon. He can and will violently defend teammates, don’t F with his team but that sometimes takes him out of plays. I have faith in Carbonneau because of his underlying skating, shot, physical play, and evidence he can adapt his game.

11.   Brady Martin, C, 6’ 186lbs: Martin would hit his grandma is she played for the other team and had the puck. He is the closest thing this draft has to a Tkachuk albeit without the size. He has a good shot and decent passing. I think his skating and overall attention to detail need to improve. I am not sold on him having high enough offensive skills to truly be a top line forward hence why he falls below Carbonneau but Martin will be a middle 6 player with top 6 upside who is aggressive in using his body to shut things down and turn things up ice.

12.   Kashawn Aitcheson, LHD, 6’1.5” 199lbs: I debated swapping him with Mrtka but I feel that Aitcheson has more offense and is more physical already. Those two factors kept him above Mrtka. He scored 26g as a defender and really activates well on the rush or in the offensive zone. He also hits everything. Really the only one who hits more is Martin. His skating needs more work but it isn’t bad. If he keeps developing you will get hopefully a better Riso type of guy with even more physicality. “Throwback” is a term used on him a lot.

13.   Radim Mrtka, RHD, 6’5.75” 218lbs: I’ve come around a bit on Mrtka. I went back and watched a bunch of his stuff because I felt I was too low on him. His moves really well especially lateral which is important. He needs to up the physicality but I felt some of his passing was better than my initial feels. I see the appeal with him, he takes up tons of ice and he does well with his gaps and ending plays. I am not convinced there is enough offense to push him higher but I think at worst you are getting a 3D guy who can give you 7-10g and 15ish assists. He’s pretty good and has a lot of runway.

14.   Jake O’Brien, C, 6’1.5” 177lbs: First, I get why he gets into other ranking top 10’s. His 2nd half was very good in terms of his playmaking ability. There is manipulation, passes into space, anticipation, and high level play reading skills. He’s also a center and over 6’ so that gives him a bump as well. I don't feel he handles contact well and I think his game will need more refinement. I think the height and center position has really vaulted him up rankings while missing some of the issues with his skating and lack of physicality. 

15.   Anton Frondell, C,  6’1.25” 204lbs: Fine… He’s big and a center with a nice shot. His transition game is… non-existent but he can take pucks from the walls to the middle. He is smart in his use of space. His defensive game is solid but I don’t see him being physical like Martin, more that he uses his frame to shield pucks or push into space. Others love him but there is a lack of dynamism outside the shot that makes me wonder why. Every time this guy played in international tournaments I felt underwhelmed with what I could watch. I am prepared to be wrong on Frondell.

16.   Lyndon Lakovic, LW, 6’4” 200lbs: At one point I thought he might go top 5 but with all the skill he rocks and his size, he just doesn’t put all that together enough. He’s a poor mans Martone where there is a lot of soft skills but he needs to up his physical game. Lakovic is not aggressive enough with his skillset, meaning I want him to demand and control more. That isn’t about size but about attitude. Still, he’s an interesting player to track because if he puts it all together, that’s a top 6 winger.

17.   Logan Hensler, RHD, 6’2.5” 198lbs

18.   Cameron Reid, LHD, 6’ 183lbs

19.   Benjamin Kindel, C, 5’10.25” 180lbs

20.   Vaclav Nestrasil, RW, 6’5.5” 185lbs

21.   Bill Zonnon, C, 6’1.5” 185lbs

22.   Braeden Cootes, C, 5’11.25” 183lbs

23.   Max Psenicka, RHD, 6’5” 185lbs

24.   Malcolm Spence, LW, 6’.75” 190lbs

25.   Jack Murtagh, RW, 6’0.5” 190lbs

26.   Cole Reschny, C, 5’10.75” 180lbs

27.   Blake Fiddler, RHD, 6’4.5” 220lbs

28.   Cullen Potter, 5’9.75” 172lbs

29.   Cameron Schmidt, LW, 5’7.5” 160lbs

30.   William Moore, C, 6’2.25” 180lbs

31.   Matthew Gard, C, 6’4.75” 195lbs

32.   Nathan Behm, LW, 6’1.75” 202lbs

* indicated that I did not have a combine height and weight measurement

I'll stand by this. There's a bunch of guys from like 33-55 I could rank but honestly, I couldn't tell you much about who's better. It's more like pick your traits. With Kesselring on the team, I think it frees up Buffalo to focus on things other than RHD. I'd probably take a lhd, and a few bigger forwards. We have two 4ths and three 7ths so a goalie makes sense too. 

[Taro T]

48 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I'll stand by this. There's a bunch of guys from like 33-55 I could rank but honestly, I couldn't tell you much about who's better. It's more like pick your traits. With Kesselring on the team, I think it frees up Buffalo to focus on things other than RHD. I'd probably take a lhd, and a few bigger forwards. We have two 4ths and three 7ths so a goalie makes sense too. 

Hmm, big LHD.  Wonder if anyone with any potential ties to the owner fits that description.  😉

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Hmm, big LHD.  Wonder if anyone with any potential ties to the owner fits that description.  😉

There's a lot belief that no Def will go between Schaefer and 9.

[Flashsabre]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/jason-bukalas-2025-nhl-mock-draft/
 

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

I'll stand by this. There's a bunch of guys from like 33-55 I could rank but honestly, I couldn't tell you much about who's better. It's more like pick your traits. With Kesselring on the team, I think it frees up Buffalo to focus on things other than RHD. I'd probably take a lhd, and a few bigger forwards. We have two 4ths and three 7ths so a goalie makes sense too. 

I admire your conviction on Frondell.  I have not seen the kid play, so my opinions are based solely on the opinions of others (including yours).  There seems to be a real possibility that he goes #2 to SJ.  You have him ranked quite a bit lower than anyone I have seen, but you're not alone in thinking he is not a top 5 pick.

This is why I love the draft.  I would look forward to tonight, even if the Sabres had no 1st rounder.  I find it fascinating to watch how individual teams sort out the details on these kids. 

[Archie Lee]

Assuming the Sabres stay where they are, there are two names I want to hear get called before then:  O'Brien and McQueen. That will mean Martone, Hagens, or Martin have fallen (I don't think there is any chance Frondell or Desnoyers fall to #9).

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

I admire your conviction on Frondell.  I have not seen the kid play, so my opinions are based solely on the opinions of others (including yours).  There seems to be a real possibility that he goes #2 to SJ.  You have him ranked quite a bit lower than anyone I have seen, but you're not alone in thinking he is not a top 5 pick.

This is why I love the draft.  I would look forward to tonight, even if the Sabres had no 1st rounder.  I find it fascinating to watch how individual teams sort out the details on these kids. 

Frondell at least to me, isn't dynamic. Yes the shot is, but his skating, passing, handling, defense are all just fine. He just seems like one of these guys who's a good puck protector with a great shot who's gonna give you 30g, 30a at his peak and I need more at 2nd overall. 

[LGR4GM]

I think one thing to think about if they use 9, is that mrtka isn't as important to Buffalo with Kesselring in the fold. 

Jackson Smith has really slid in consensus rankings so he's gonna be available. 

[CTJoe]

18 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I think one thing to think about if they use 9, is that mrtka isn't as important to Buffalo with Kesselring in the fold. 

Jackson Smith has really slid in consensus rankings so he's gonna be available. 

I agree that I think they take Smith if he's there at #9, with his Penn State connection.  I'm not as sure he'll get to 9 though, as I read an article yesterday saying "teams that passed on him will look silly when he wins the Norris is 5 years."  We suddenly have decent organizational depth at RHD now.  Other guys I's like at 9 are Bartone and Martin.

[Flashsabre]

I think they take a centre: O’Brien, Martin, McQueen whichever one is there.

Jay McKee coaches O’Brien and Leenders was his goalie so Buffalo will have a lot of viewings/intel on O’Brien

[dudacek]

11 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

I think they take a centre: O’Brien, Martin, McQueen whichever one is there.

Jay McKee coaches O’Brien and Leenders was his goalie so Buffalo will have a lot of viewings/intel on O’Brien

I guess the best thing about O'Brien is that he addresses the organizational need for playmaking centre even though he superficially might look like a "more of the same" pick.

[LGR4GM]

Carter Bear is a lw/c ... we could use one of those in the pipeline, just saying.