NHL Mock Draft Pick #16 – Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres, as I stated yesterday, need size and skill to complement their youthful but improving defense and better than average offense. Is the combination they require available with the 16th pick? Only time will tell, but the Sabres sure hope so.
Selecting on behalf of the Sabres is Timothy, Senior Editor of Sabre Noise.
Brandon Saad, LW from Saginaw in the Ontario Hockey League
Jared’s Analysis – Buffalo gets some size at 6’2″ and over 200 pounds already. He is skilled, and he is not a wall-flower, which is what Buffalo needs. Saad scored 55 points in 59 games in his Rookie OHL season after spending time with the USA under-18 program.
Timothy, Senior Editor for Sabre Noise comments on Saad’s selection:
With new owner Terry Pegula at the helm, this is the first draft class that he will have a say in on – and all new Sabres prospects are going to be held to the expectation of winning a Stanley Cup – not merely being competitive. With a gold medal under his belt, Brandon Saad is a smart choice for the Sabres at this pick, projected to go around 19 – its not a reach for the Sabres and at 6’1 208 pounds, gives some size to the Sabres they are lacking. With almost a point a game production for Saginaw, a little bit of seasoning could give the Sabres a US born offensive threat for years to come.
I encourage fans and followers of the Sabres to check out further information on the club and this pick in particular at Sabre Noise.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Here are the Mock Draft results so far (click on the team name to go to the post about that pick):
| Pick | TEAM | PLAYER |
| 1 | EDMONTON | Adam Larsson |
| 2 | COLORADO | Gabriel Landeskog |
| 3 | FLORIDA | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins |
| 4 | NEW JERSEY | Jonathan Huberdeau |
| 5 | NY ISLANDERS | Sean Couturier |
| 6 | OTTAWA | Ryan Strome |
| 7 | ATLANTA | Ryan Murphy |
| 8 | COLUMBUS | Dougie Hamilton |
| 9 | BOSTON (FR TOR) | Duncan Siemens |
| 10 | MINNESOTA | Sven Bartschi |
| 11 | COLORADO | Jamie Oleksiak |
| 12 | CAROLINA | Joel Armia |
| 13 | CALGARY | Mika Zibanejad |
| 14 | DALLAS | Nathan Beaulieu |
| 15 | NY RANGERS | Mark McNeill |
| 16 | BUFFALO | Brandon Saadl |
Now on the clock for the #17 selection, on behalf of the Montreal Canadiens, is A Winning Habit.
PREVIEWING THE CANADIENS
2010-2011 Record: 44-30-8 (14th Overall)
League Rankings:
Goals for: 23rd
Goals Against: 8th
Power Play: 7th
Penalty Kill: 7th
TOP 5 Prospects in the system: Danny Kristo (RW), Louis Leblanc (C), Jarred Tinordi (D), Yannick Weber (D), Aaron Palushaj (RW)
NEEDS: The Canadiens will be facing a salary cap crunch and the defense corps might just pay the price as they can’t afford to keep all of the free agents that are coming up this summer. They have a few prospects, but that might be a position they draft for in order to insure against potential blue line losses. Also, they need scoring size, as their most productive players are primarily smaller, and in the playoffs they were exposed as such. There are many prospects that Montreal could choose with the 17th pick. There are 2 d-men in the top 5 remaining on the board, and many others who could be lumped into the same level, depending on preference and perception. The past few picks have been off the board slightly, so I would not be shocked if this one is too.
TOP 5 PLAYERS ON THE BOARD (per ISS):
1. Oscar Klefbom, D, Farjestad (SWE ELITE)
2. Rocco Grimaldi, C, USA Under-18 (USHL)
3. JT Miller, LW, USA Under-18 (USHL)
4. Mark Scheifele, C, Barrie (OHL)
5. Connor Murphy, D, USA Under-18 (USHL)
Check back on TOO MANY MEN ON THE SITE tomorrow evening to see who “A Winning Habit” chooses to take for the Montreal Canadiens, as the Fansided mock draft continues!