The 2020 NHL Draft, originally scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, will be held virtually this week.
Round 1 will kick off Tuesday night at 7 p.m. on NBCSN and Rounds 2-7 will take place on Wednesday starting at 11:30 a.m. on NHL Network. The Buffalo Sabres currently have six picks in the draft:
1. Round 1, Pick 8 (8th overall)
2. Round 2, Pick 7 (38th overall)
3. Round 4, Pick 7 (100th overall)
4. Round 5, Pick 7 (131st overall)
5. Round 7, Pick 7 (193rd overall)
6. Round 7, Pick 30 (216th overall), From Dallas
Rimouski center Alexis Lafreniere of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is expected to be the first player selected. The New York Rangers hold the No. 1 pick by virtue of winning the second phase of the NHL Draft Lottery.
As Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com writes, the Sabres “should target a few more creative forwards to complement [Jack] Eichel, [Dylan] Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt” wth their picks.
At eighth overall, the Sabres will have a good set of prospects to choose from. Sabres.com is profiling a number of forwards that could be available, including (in alphabetical order):
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].