The Buffalo Sabres did not get the top pick as many had hoped and expected, but it should not hinder them in their pursuit of the top offensive player in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft being held in Philadelphia in late June.
The Florida Panthers, who finished 14 points ahead of Buffalo in the Eastern Conference standings and had the second-best chance of moving up to the top pick will select first, while the Sabres will have the second selection. It is expected that Buffalo will choose the top forward on their draft list, either Sam Reinhart of the WHL’s Kootenay Ice, Sam Bennett of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs or Prince Albert center Leon Draisaitl.
“We’ll get a good player, and I think there’s a great chance we could get a guy that we have No. 1 on our list,” Murray told TSN following the lottery selections in Toronto on Monday. “I think with the way the draft sets up, we probably have a better chance of getting the guy that we have No. 1 than we had a chance today of getting the first pick.”
Ryan Kennedy of the Hockey News, in the first of an endless amount of mock drafts to be done between now and late June thinks that the Sabres will select the 6’1” 209 lb Draisaitl, who led the Raiders in scoring with 105 points(38 goals and 67 assists) and is someone who can “step right into the NHL and play center thanks to his size and ability.”
GM Tim Murray indicated that the ability of a top forward prospect to make the 2014-15 club would not be a factor in who he selects, but rather who is the best long-term prospect for the organization. Murray also stated in his end of the year press conference on Monday that improving depth at forward for next season is an achievable goal, but that he would rely on the maturation of those already with the organization to fill offensive roles on their top two lines.
“We have to find other people other than the first pick in this draft to help us score more next year.” Murray said. “I think we can make improvements certainly to our bottom six, I believe that is very achievable……I think the top six is going to improve by having more support in the bottom six, by a guy like Zemgus(Girgensons) getting older and more mature and by (Cody) Hodgson getting older and more mature.”
The prospect of the Sabres positioning themselves next season for a run at the prizes at the top of the 2015 Draft was denied categorically by the Sabres new GM.
“If anybody think that there’s a message of tanking being sent from upstairs, I would suggest they put a camera on me for 60 minutes of the game when we’re losing and you’ll know that tanking is not what I want.” Murray said
That has to be the public stance that the organization, management and coaching staff have to take facing a fan base tired of losing, but with potential prizes like Erie Otters center Connor McDavid or US Developmental prospect Jack Eichel at the top of the 2015 Draft list, the philosophy of short term pain for long term gain is likely at work with the Sabres.
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Murray commented on the possibility of using the two compliance buyouts available to the club this summer due to the new collective bargaining agreement and indicated that the Sabres may exercise on of them on forward Ville Leino.
“Buying him(Leino) out is a possibility. Buying him out is a tool we can use to improve our team.’ Murray said. “It’s a very good possibility. It’s not 100 percent, but it’s a very good possibility that’s one of our buyouts.”
The 30-year-old Leino has been a disaster ever since being signed to a six-year, $27 Million contract in the summer of 2011, missing 75 games over three seasons with a myriad of injuries and being a complete non-factor when in the lineup, as he scored just 10 goals and 36 assists in 137 games with Buffalo and had no goals in 58 games this season.
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