2019 NHL Draft: Biggest winners and losers from Vancouver
By Alex Hoegler
Winner: Cole Caufield
Many thought speedy and crafty American sniper Cole Caufield would go in the top 10, but he actually fell down to the Montreal Canadiens at No. 15 overall. But I can’t think of a better fit for Caufield than the Habs.
Caufield isn’t big (5-foot-7, 163 pounds), but he joins a Montreal team that is built around guys that have similar skill sets. Brendan Gallagher (5-foot-9, 175 pounds), Max Domi (5-foot-9, 193 pounds), Tomas Tatar (5-10, 182 pounds), and Jonathan Drouin (6 foot, 193 pounds), have shown that speed and skill trumps size.
That’s why Caufield is a natural fit in Montreal. He doesn’t need to throw around the big hits to excel under head coach Claude Julien. He’s playing on a team with shifty and quick puck-moving forwards. He and Domi will form one of the top young scoring duos in the NHL. Expect Caufield to emerge as a big-time goal-scorer once he joins the Canadiens.
Related Story. 5 Offseason Predictions For The Canadiens. light
Loser: Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres drafted Dylan Cozens with the No. 7 pick, and there’s really no questioning that he’s a top 10 player in this draft class. However, general manager Jason Botterill decided to simply strengthen a strength rather than address one of Buffalo’s major weaknesses.
The Sabres already have a world-class center in Jack Eichel at center. Behind him, they have a rising star in Casey Mittelstadt and a serviceable 23-year-old in Sam Reinhart. Cozens will simply be a luxury for the Sabres, not a necessity. It’s as simple as that.
Oh, and Botterill probably missed out on his chance to get max value for blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen, who’s been the subject of trade rumors. Looks like the Sabres will have to wait to dangle him at next year’s trade deadline. Fans in Buffalo have waited long enough for this front office to get the team on track, but it’s hard to see how they made progress at the draft.