2026 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[Flashsabre]

8 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Inject this into my veins.

It will be fascinating to see who survives in that scouting dept. Jarmo is a take charge guy and no one will be pulling the wool over his eyes when it comes to scouting and which players to draft.

Edited December 18, 2025 by Flashsabre

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

 

That's hopefully good drafting, but not necessarily. Jarmo took over a crap franchise in CBJ. That means a bunch of young players had opportunities to play a bunch and early.

Let's look at another crap franchise.

(Note: I'm including some goalies because although their GP isn't super high, they're dressed and on an active gameday roster for many more games than played. For example, Johansson has been TB's primary backup the last 3 seasons -- barring injuries, which he's been quite healthy for his entire career except 1 month in 2025 -- which means he's maybe missed 15ish games of 190 in his Tampa tenure.) Bolding the qualifiers.

 

Buffalo's drafts from 2012-2021. Any draft 2021+ and with the exception of Power and Benson, they haven't been able to reach the NHL full-time yet.

 

2012
Grigorenko 249, Girgensons 796, McCabe 675, Ullmark 315, Kea --- will call 300+ penalties on the Sabres, Nelson, Austin, Peterson

2013
Ristolainen 777, Zadorov 757, Compher 611, Bailey 141, Baptiste, Hurley, Petersen 106 (as a goalie, potentially someday if he gets a late bloom/opportunity), Possler, Florentino, Malone, Locke

2014
Reinhart 808, Lemieux 307, Olofsson 403, Jonas Johanson 95 +++ including because he's been dressed for at least 280 NHL games, Cornel, Karabacek, Martin, Willman, Brown

2015
Eichel 647, Borgen 326, Guhle, Stephens, Estephan, Chukarov

2016
Hagel 407, Asplund 189, Nylander 126, Pu, Fitzgerald, Murray, Nyberg, Budik, Osmanski, Glotov

2017
Mittelstadt 462, Luukkonen 165 +++ he's well over 250 with being dressed/active, Bryson 276+ he could surpass 300 this season, Davidsson, Laaksonen, Weissbach

2018
Dahlin 538, Samuelsson 242++ he'll get there and if he were healthier he'd be up around 400, Pekar, Cronholm, Kukkonen, Worge-Kreu

2019
Cozens 394, Johnson 47 (blocked by Bryson for the last season+) but potentially someday, Portillo 1 -- but .966 in that one game, he'll be an NHL goalie soon, Huglen, Cederqvist, Rousek 17

2020
Quinn 210, Peterka 274, they'll both reach 300, Costantini, Lyckasen, Konecny 

 

I count 66 picks and 21 made it, are a backup goalie and were dressed, or will surpass 300 games played in the next season.

That's 31.8%, which would put Jarmo to shame. It's partially because the team has been garbage and rushed folks, plus many top-15 draft picks, not necessarily because they're all great selections or that the GMs from end-Regier until now have been fantastic.

[shrader]

18 hours ago, Brawndo said:

 

Who else was on that staff? The GM always gets the credit, but the crew is the one steering that ship. 

[French Collection]

19 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

It will be fascinating to see who survives in that scouting dept. Jarmo is a take charge guy and no one will be pulling the wool over his eyes when it comes to scouting and which players to draft.

If Forton is let go we know Jarmo is in charge.

[LGR4GM]

Nikita Klepov has cooled off but he's still a guy I'd target outside the top 10 for sure. 

[Two or less]

 

Speaking of the draft, something i heard today was a bit interesting from someone who i trust is that Buffalo will host the 2026 draft. 

[LGR4GM]

Klepov is owning the ohl top prospects game. 3pts on his teams 3g

[LGR4GM]

There's some chatters that Ryan Lin, 5'11" RHD out of the WHL, will slide in the draft mainly due to how many other defenders with more size are available. If he's there in the 20s, he's a guy you want to take a chance on. 

[LGR4GM]

Nikita Klepov still ranks high for me. The motor is Doan/Benson-esque and I think the skill level will be high enough for a middle 6 role at worst. He's the guy leading his team and reminds me a little of Ben Kindel. Still very high on Klepov due to the motor and skils. 

[DarthEbriate]

4 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

There's some chatters that Ryan Lin, 5'11" RHD out of the WHL, will slide in the draft mainly due to how many other defenders with more size are available. If he's there in the 20s, he's a guy you want to take a chance on. 

This is going to sound weird given the drafting/signings of the last two seasons, but the Sabres don't have any "puck-moving/PP point/rushing" RHD in the system or on the big squad.

Note: Kesselring and Mrtka could be argued in that category, but I don't think that it's either of their primary description.

[LGR4GM]

On 1/29/2026 at 11:05 AM, DarthEbriate said:

This is going to sound weird given the drafting/signings of the last two seasons, but the Sabres don't have any "puck-moving/PP point/rushing" RHD in the system or on the big squad.

Note: Kesselring and Mrtka could be argued in that category, but I don't think that it's either of their primary description.

I'd agree but with Dahlin, Power, and potentially Byram around for awhile, they probably are fine. My only issue with drafting defense in the 1st round is that is yet another 1st round defender to go along with the other 32 RHD we have. I am not opposed to it though. 

If we really want to gamble on someone in the 20's, Wyatt Cullen is a guy that does everything you would want. He's not going to be 18 until September. From what I have seen (1 entire highlight reel!) and read, Cullen has a ton of skills but you can almost tell that the body is not strong enough yet. Idk, this guy just hits for me when I watch him and the age thing just adds the missing piece for why he isn't better yet. 6' 172lb forwards with Sept 8th birthday... you might have a 6'1" 200lb forward in 5 years with those hands, skating, and deception... yes please. 

[LGR4GM]

 

[LGR4GM]

Alberts Smits: 6'3" 205lb lhd

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7054756/2026/02/18/alberts-smits-olympics-mens-hockey-latvia-nhl-draft/

 

[LGR4GM]

 

Brooks Rogowski is our player for today because I think Nikita Klepov (WHO WE SHOULD 1000000000000% draft if available at 32) will likely be gone. 

Brooks is big, which some of you will love. Now, when I say big, I don't mean 6'2" 195lbs, I mean 6'6" 231lbs and won't be 18 until June. He is also physical all over the ice. Now is he the most skilled player ever... no. Could he carve out a roll as a 40pt bottom 6 center? Maybe. If you are drafting Brooks you are hoping that the young age and developing body are what has kept him from really lighting up the scoresheet. He still managed to 42pts in 46games this year for Oshawa who was not a great team overall. In fact his 42pts put him 3rd behind a 57 and 67 pointer. To put him in perspective with my boy Klepov, he had 97pts this year in the OHL. Oddly enough both of the mentioned players will be off to Michigan State in the fall. I think Rogowski might be worth a late round shot in the first if you believe the skill level can improve because the physical gifts and motor are all there. 

 

Edited May 5 by LGR4GM

[Punch]

On 7/7/2025 at 8:27 AM, Archie Lee said:

Pronman at the Athletic has his “way too early” 2026 mock draft up today. The draft order for the mock was set using current betting lines. The Sabres draft 6th in the mock. Only Pittsburgh from the East draft earlier than the Sabres. Pretty useless info, but nonetheless an early indicator of how some view the Sabre off-season.

Utah picked 17th.

The Sabres took Ethan Belchatz, a RW from Windsor.  

This was the first post in this thread after the last time I opened it... what a difference a season makes.

[pastajoe]

I got an email to buy Entry Draft tickets starting at $10. They want to charge to watch the draft in person?! Getting money from concessions isn’t enough? GTFOH.

[Taro T]

31 minutes ago, pastajoe said:

I got an email to buy Entry Draft tickets starting at $10. They want to charge to watch the draft in person?! Getting money from concessions isn’t enough? GTFOH.

They charged the last time they hosted the draft.  And for that one they didn't even give STHers any comps.  (The other 2 times they held the draft in Buffalo, they gave out tix to anyone that requested them on a 1st come 1st served basis.)  Heard they had a lot fewer people inside the MMArena than they'd expected to get for that Matthews Nylander draft.  They had quite a few outside at the free watch party, including several Sabrespacers.