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In April 2013, the Florida Panthers lost the first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery to the Colorado Avalanche. The Cats would select Sasha Barkov second overall in that draft, after the Avs grabbed QMJHL scoring legend Nathan MacKinnon with the first overall pick in the 2013 entry draft.
All’s fair in love and war.
On Tuesday night, the Panthers c-blocked the Buffalo Sabres in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft lottery. Buffalo entered the lottery with the best statistical chance (25%) of winning the right to select first overall. Buffalo typical. They finished last overall in the 2013-14 NHL standings and earned the right to draw the first pick in the draft. Not so fast. The NHL Entry Draft lottery is the great unknown.
My guess is that the Cats will use their first overall pick to select Barrie Colts D-stud Aaron Ekblad first overall in the June entry draft, leaving The Sams for Buffalo to choose from. The Panthers have selected Barkov and tower of forward power Nick Bjugstad in recent first round selections. The prevailing thought is that Panthers GM Dale Tallon will look to shore up his D with an NHL-ready difference-making rear guard in Ekblad.
This is only the 3rd time in franchise history that the Sabres will pick in the top 2 of the NHL Entry Draft. The last time they did was 1987 when they selected Oooo Lalala Pierre Turgeon from Granby.
Sabres GM Tim Murray says that he and his scouts have identified the player that they wish to select with the second overall pick. I’d be shocked if the Sabres select Sam Reinhart over Sam Bennett. Reinhart is a smart player with a deft scoring touch, however, there has to be a valid reason why his stock slipped from first to third overall prospect during the midterm and final grades, as rated by Central Scouting. Bennett is the more complete player right now. His offensive and defensive game, augmented by his piss-n-vinegar make him the most likely choice to play for Murray and Ted Nolan who want to become a harder team to play against in 2014-15 and beyond. Renhart is a respected offensive star in junior, however, he doesn’t strike fear in the hearts and minds of opponents the way that Bennett does.
Here’s how the rest of the NHL lottery shakes down:
1st: Florida Panthers
2nd: Buffalo Sabres (fell from #1 to #2)
3rd: Edmonton Oilers
4th: Calgary Flames
*5th: New York Islanders (Buffalo gunning hard for this pick)
6th: Vancouver Canucks
7th: Carolina Hurricanes
8th: Toronto Maple Leafs
9th: Winnipeg Jets
10th: Anaheim Ducks
11th: Nashville Predators
12th: Phoenix Coyotes
13th: Washington Capitals
The New Jersey Devils took part in the 2014 NHL Draft lottery, however, were not eligible to get a top-14 pick due to the NHL sanction against them as it related to the Ilya Kovalchuk contract shenanigans. The Devils will draft 30th overall, the final pick of the opening round.
Keep an eye and an ear out for New York Islanders GM Garth Snow who earned the fifth overall pick in the June entry draft. Snow has until June to decide if he will give Buffalo his 2014 fist rounder or his 2015 first rounder, as part of the Thomas Vanek for Matt Moulson trade in late October. My money says that Snow will hand Murray his 2014 first rounder and then take his chances on landing Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel in the more talent rich 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
The Sabres may be selecting 2nd and 5th overall, and if the St. Louis Blues advance to the WCF, or, if Ryan Miller re-signs there, Buffalo will then own the 2014 first rounder of the Blues, which will likely fall between picks 25-30 in the first round. Having three first rounders in the June entry draft would not suck too badly for Murray.
Thanks, Sabres.com
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