NHL Draft Lottery: Sabres will likely get nice prospect with first pick, but could they trade it?

There’s a belief that instead of using his first-round pick to draft a prospect next month, Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams might trade it to pry away some established talent from one of his counterparts.

In his first five years, Adams has resisted the temptation to deal one of his coveted early selections before the NHL Draft.

Ten months ago, however, he sent center Matt Savoie, the ninth overall pick in 2022, to the Edmonton Oilers in a trade that brought center Ryan McLeod to Buffalo.

McLeod, 25, paid immediate dividends, scoring a career-high 20 goals and 53 points this season.

Trading a highly rated prospect to secure immediate help illustrated Adams would be operating differently. These days, he’s under more pressure to fix the Sabres following their 14th consecutive playoff DNQ.

So the Sabres’ first-round pick on June 27 – their position will be determined in tonight’s NHL Draft Lottery – could certainly be dangled if Adams can acquire assets that can be plugged into the lineup.

The Sabres, having finished 26th overall, have just 6.5 percent odds for the top pick in the lottery, which will be televised live. They can also move back two spots to ninth.

The San Jose Sharks have the highest odds for the first selection, 18.5 percent.

What happens if the Sabres move up from that seventh slot? How much would the opportunity to draft, say, defenseman Matthew Schaefer, NHL Central Scouting’s No. 1 rated North American prospect, or center Michael Misa, who’s rated second, impact their offseason plans?

In years past, it was a slam dunk they would keep a top-10 pick. Not anymore.

If the Sabres make their pick, Dan Marr, the director of NHL Central Scouting, believes they will add a terrific prospect.

“These are all solid players that are going to have very productive careers,” he told the Times Herald. “There’s a lot of high-value picks at the top end here. A lot.”

Some intriguing prospects who could be available to the Sabres are below.

Schaefer, defenseman, Erie Otters, Ontario Hockey League

Marr said the 6-foot-2, 183-pound Schaefer earned Central Scouting’s top ranking because of “the way he dominates in a game.”

“He impacts and influences the game in all three zones and in all situations,” he said. “And this is a player who plays a proactive style. So he’s not one who’s going to hold back. He’s, obviously, going to go for the win, go for the shot, the goal. And his game will have to mature at the pro level, again, managing risk, reward, not making mistakes.

“But he’s shown everybody that he has all the tools. The ceiling on him is really, really high.”

Misa, center, Saginaw Spirit, OHL

Marr said the 6-foot-1, 184-pound Misa, having been an elite prospect for years, has had his game picked apart.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere, the first pick in 2020, and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, the top selection in 2019, experienced that unique spotlight leading up to their respective drafts.

“By the time it came to his draft year, we had seen him, and you’re looking for holes and warts,” Marr said of Lafreniere. “And then when Lafreniere went to the NHL, they were expecting him to lead them to the Stanley Cup right away, so the first couple years they were all over him. They were all over Jack Hughes, but now look at him.

“The NHL’s not a league for teenagers. So Michael Misa, as he continues to mature, he’s going to be one of those players that’s going to be a big difference-maker.”

Misa, who scored 62 goals and 134 points in 65 games this season, might be the most decorated player in the draft. He played in the OHL at just 15, won the Memorial Cup last year, won the scoring title this year and became the youngest captain in Spirit history.

“But he’s on that pedestal where everybody seemed to want to find holes in his game, rather than look at what his accomplishments are,” Marr said. “So we thought he took his game to another level this year putting up the offense he did.

“And he got bigger, stronger and faster. But just the elite skills and elite hockey IQ to where he sees the ice like no one else. He can execute plays. He knows where everyone is. The passes are tape-to-tape; they’re right on time.”

James Hagens, center, Boston College, NCAA

Central Scouting rank: third

Marr said the 5-foot-10, 177-pound Hagens is “a dynamic, heads-up player” who’s “effortless.”

“He has the confidence,” he said. “But if you go to that confidence, he’s got a lot of patience and savviness with the puck. So once he gets into the zone, he’s composed and smart with the puck. But then he’s ultra-quick in his ability to read and execute the plays.”

Jake O’Brien, center, Brantford Bulldogs, OHL

Central Scouting rank: fourth

Marr said the 6-foot-2, 172-pound O’Brien, possesses “all the offensive tools in his toolbox.”

“But it’s his hockey sense that’s his biggest one,” he said. “His vision, his quick read and react, the way he anticipates on the play, and again, execution with the puck skills. He sees the ice and just reads it very well. He’s a guy you want to have as a teammate, because you know he’ll find you with the puck, and you’ll get a scoring chance out of it. …

“I would reference him as a two-way centerman with offensive skills because he does pay attention to the game without the puck. Most often he’s the first player back, not even the first forward back. He’s a relentless-type player on the puck, all zones.”

Anton Frondell, center, Djurgardens, HockeyAllsvenskan

Central Scouting rank: first among European skaters

Marr said the 6-foot-1, 198-pound Frondell, who played pro hockey this season, came into his own after an injury slowed him early.

“He’s another two-way centerman with skill,” he said. “Strong player with his skating and speed. He can play the physical situations, win the one-on-one battles to gain position on the play. His game with the puck is his real asset – his puck skills and his hockey sense.”