NASHVILLE – The Buffalo Sabres this morning selected Swedish center Anton Wahlberg in the second round, 39th overall, at the NHL Draft.
The 6-foot-3, 192-pound Wahlberg, who turns 18 next Wednesday, is NHL Central Scouting’s 30th-ranked European prospect.
Wahlberg compiled 14 goals and 27 points in 32 games for Malmo’s junior team last season. He scored two goals and four points in 17 contests for Malmo’s Swedish Hockey League team.
Update: The Sabres have drafted Slovakian defenseman Maxim Strbak in the second round, 45th overall.
The 6-foot-1, 198-pound Strbak is Central Scouting’s 48th-ranked North American prospect.
Strbak, 18, compiled five goals and 18 points in 46 games last seasons with the United States Hockey League’s Sioux Falls Stampede.
“I try to be a two-way defenseman, all around,” he said. “I think I’m more of a shutdown defenseman right now. I like to kill plays.”
He plans to attend Michigan State next season.
“I talked to a lot of universities and Michigan State was the only one that stood out to me the most,” Strbak said. “They had the most interest in me right away. I’ve kind of kept in close touch with them. I just really love what they’re doing with the brand-new coaching staff.”
Update: The Sabres have drafted defenseman Gavin McCarthy, a Clarence native, in the third round, 86th overall.
The 6-foot-2, 186-pound McCarthy is Central Scouting’s 52nd-ranked North American prospect.
McCarthy, 18, registered two goals and 11 points in 53 games for the United States Hockey League’ Muskegon Lumberjacks last season.
Update: The Sabres have drafted winger Ethan Miedema in the fourth round, 109th overall.
The 6-foot-4, 208-pound Miedema is Central Scouting’s 50th-ranked North American prospect.
Miedema, 18, compiled 20 goals and 52 points in 68 games with the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires and Kingston Frontenacs last season.
Update: The Sabres have drafted goalie Scott Ratzlaff in the fifth round, 141st overall.
The 6-foot, 175-pound Ratzlaff is Central Scouting’s fourth-ranked North American goalie prospect.
Ratzlaff, 18, compiled a 25-8-1 record with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage for the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds last season.
“I’m more of a stand-up goalie,” he said. “I like to be on my feet as long as possible, and I think a big strength of mine is just lateral movement, east to west on my feet, getting places there. Agility.”
Update: The Sabres have drafted defenseman Sean Keohane in the sixth round, 173rd overall.
The 6-foot-4, 182-pound Keohane is Central Scouting’s 159th-ranked North American prospect.
Keohane, 18, compiled four goals and 16 points in 32 games for Dexter High School in Massachusetts and one goal and five points in 14 contests for the Cape Cod Whalers’ U-18 team last season.
Update: The Sabres have drafted German defenseman Norwin Panocha in the fifth round, 141st overall.
The 6-foot-1, 178-pound Panocha is Central Scouting’s 114th-ranked European prospect.
Panocha, 18, compiled six goals and 22 points in 34 games with Eisbaren Berlin, a junior team. He also played eight pro games in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga and DEL-2.
