Note: This "lottery" is stupid.
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ESPN's broadcast of the NHL Draft Lottery showed Kevyn Adams waiting in KeyBank Center as Commissioner Gary Bettman narrated the live drawing to determine who owns the first pick.
Buffalo Sabres fans cheer on their team against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News)
Adams, the Buffalo Sabres' general manager, watched the New York Islanders make a surprising leap to the No. 1 pick and Utah Hockey Club jump into the fourth selection of the draft, which will be held June 27-28 with teams working remotely from their respective home city.
The Sabres weren't as lucky, though. They entered with the seventh-best odds to select first overall but dropped to the No. 9 pick in the first round. The top 10 picks, in order, are the Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Utah, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Seattle Kraken, Sabres and Anaheim Ducks.
It is the 11th time in 13 years that Buffalo has owned a top 10 draft pick. Previously, the Sabres selected Rasmus Ristolainen (2013), Sam Reinhart (2014), Jack Eichel (2015), Alex Nylander (2016), Casey Mittelstadt (2017), Rasmus Dahlin (2018), Dylan Cozens (2019), Jack Quinn (2020), Owen Power (2021) and Matt Savoie (2022).
The Sabres' hockey operations department has seven weeks to finalize its draft board, but, using TSN legendary reporter Bob McKenzie's most recent rankings, here are nine names for them to consider for the No. 9 pick:
Schaefer also missed the first nine games of the season with mononucleosis, and he had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and was plus-21 in 17 games for Erie prior to his injury.
Michael Misa, center, Saginaw Spirit (OHL): Misa is considered the second-best prospect in the draft. The 18-year-old center had 62 goals with a league-high 134 points while captaining Saginaw this season. His games have been a stop on NHL scouts' recruiting trail for at least the last four years. The Hamilton native was the eight player in OHL history to be granted exceptional status to play in the league at 15 years old. He had 1.5 points per game in his three seasons with Sagina, and he has the option to move to the NCAA or NHL in the fall.
Porter Martone, winger, Brampton Steelheads (OHL): Martone is a skilled power forward who totaled 37 goals with 98 points in 57 games as Brampton's captain. He's bigger (6-foot-2, 208 pounds) than all but one recent Sabres first-round draft pick, Owen Power, and Martone possesses the intangibles that Buffalo's scouts prioritize while evaluating prospects. He is a competitive, intelligent winger who has drawn comparisons to Corey Perry and the Tkachuk brothers.
Frondell had 11 goals with 25 points in 29 regular-season games in Sweden's second-tier professional league, followed by seven points in 16 playoff games. He had only one goal in five games at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship, a tournament that typically carries weight for the Sabres' scouting department.
James Hagens, center, Boston College: A product of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, Hagens broke the Under-17 and Under-18 world championship single-tournament scoring records. The Long Island native also had one of the most productive seasons in the history of the NTDP and led Team USA in ice time at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
Hagens had 11 goals with 37 points as a freshman for Boston College, but he's not currently viewed as a candidate to go No. 1 or 2 because he did not score as much as scouts anticipated this season. He'll turn 19 in November and seems likely to return to Boston College. His father, Michael, played hockey at SUNY Brockport.
Caleb Desnoyers, center, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL): An excellent skater who's 6 feet tall and 178 pounds, Desnoyers produced 35 goals with 84 points in 56 regular-season games. Desnoyers, 18, also had nine goals with 24 points in 13 games to lead Moncton to the QMJHL final.
O'Brien's father, Dan, played four seasons at Clarkson University and one in the ECHL, and his mother, Amy Turek, was a captain at Laurier University and played for the Canadian national women’s team from 1999 to 2000. Her father, Ed, played for the Canadian Football League's Hamilton Tiger-Cats and won a Grey Cup.
Roger McQueen, center, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL): An upper-body injury forced McQueen to miss all but 20 games this season. He had 10 goals with 20 points in 17 regular-season games, and he's still a highly-ranked prospect because of what he showed in the WHL in 2024-25. He has an excellent shot and plays reliable defense. McQueen is 6-foot-5 and 197 pounds, a blend of size and skill that make him a player to watch for the Sabres.
Victor Eklund, winger, Djurgardens (SHL): The Sabres tried to move back into the top 10 of the 2021 draft to select Eklund's older brother, William, who went seventh overall to the San Jose Sharks, and they will be drawn to Victor's mature, two-way approach as a winger. Eklund had 19 goals with 31 points in 42 games during the regular-season in Sweden's second-tier pro league, and he produced six points in seven games at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
Sabres own the ninth pick in a draft filled with talented forwards
The Buffalo Sabres dropped two spots in the NHL Draft Lottery to the ninth overall pick, their 11th top 10 pick in the past 13 years.
ESPN's broadcast of the NHL Draft Lottery showed Kevyn Adams waiting in KeyBank Center as Commissioner Gary Bettman narrated the live drawing to determine who owns the first pick.
Buffalo Sabres fans cheer on their team against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News)
Adams, the Buffalo Sabres' general manager, watched the New York Islanders make a surprising leap to the No. 1 pick and Utah Hockey Club jump into the fourth selection of the draft, which will be held June 27-28 with teams working remotely from their respective home city.
The Sabres weren't as lucky, though. They entered with the seventh-best odds to select first overall but dropped to the No. 9 pick in the first round. The top 10 picks, in order, are the Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Utah, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Seattle Kraken, Sabres and Anaheim Ducks.
It is the 11th time in 13 years that Buffalo has owned a top 10 draft pick. Previously, the Sabres selected Rasmus Ristolainen (2013), Sam Reinhart (2014), Jack Eichel (2015), Alex Nylander (2016), Casey Mittelstadt (2017), Rasmus Dahlin (2018), Dylan Cozens (2019), Jack Quinn (2020), Owen Power (2021) and Matt Savoie (2022).
The Sabres' hockey operations department has seven weeks to finalize its draft board, but, using TSN legendary reporter Bob McKenzie's most recent rankings, here are nine names for them to consider for the No. 9 pick:
Tier 1
Matthew Schaefer, defenseman, Erie Otters (OHL): Schaefer has been viewed as the top prospect in this draft class for some time, and his stock hasn't been impacted by the broken collarbone that limited him to only 19 games this season. He's only 17 years old and suffered the injury at the IIHF World Junior Championship, where he had a goal and two points in two games.Schaefer also missed the first nine games of the season with mononucleosis, and he had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and was plus-21 in 17 games for Erie prior to his injury.
Michael Misa, center, Saginaw Spirit (OHL): Misa is considered the second-best prospect in the draft. The 18-year-old center had 62 goals with a league-high 134 points while captaining Saginaw this season. His games have been a stop on NHL scouts' recruiting trail for at least the last four years. The Hamilton native was the eight player in OHL history to be granted exceptional status to play in the league at 15 years old. He had 1.5 points per game in his three seasons with Sagina, and he has the option to move to the NCAA or NHL in the fall.
Porter Martone, winger, Brampton Steelheads (OHL): Martone is a skilled power forward who totaled 37 goals with 98 points in 57 games as Brampton's captain. He's bigger (6-foot-2, 208 pounds) than all but one recent Sabres first-round draft pick, Owen Power, and Martone possesses the intangibles that Buffalo's scouts prioritize while evaluating prospects. He is a competitive, intelligent winger who has drawn comparisons to Corey Perry and the Tkachuk brothers.
Tier II
Anton Frondell, center, Djurgradens (SHL): The top-ranked International skater according to NHL Central Scouting, Frondell is 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds. Size will matter for the Sabres in the wake of them using first-round draft picks on three small forwards: Savoie, Zach Benson and Isak Rosen.Frondell had 11 goals with 25 points in 29 regular-season games in Sweden's second-tier professional league, followed by seven points in 16 playoff games. He had only one goal in five games at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship, a tournament that typically carries weight for the Sabres' scouting department.
James Hagens, center, Boston College: A product of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, Hagens broke the Under-17 and Under-18 world championship single-tournament scoring records. The Long Island native also had one of the most productive seasons in the history of the NTDP and led Team USA in ice time at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
Hagens had 11 goals with 37 points as a freshman for Boston College, but he's not currently viewed as a candidate to go No. 1 or 2 because he did not score as much as scouts anticipated this season. He'll turn 19 in November and seems likely to return to Boston College. His father, Michael, played hockey at SUNY Brockport.
Caleb Desnoyers, center, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL): An excellent skater who's 6 feet tall and 178 pounds, Desnoyers produced 35 goals with 84 points in 56 regular-season games. Desnoyers, 18, also had nine goals with 24 points in 13 games to lead Moncton to the QMJHL final.
Tier III
Jake O'Brien, center, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL): The Toronto native had 32 goals with 98 points in 66 games during his second OHL season. The reigning OHL rookie of the year is listed at 6-foot-2 and 172 pounds. He's one of the youngest players in this draft class, and the Sabres will be comfortable leaning on his coach, ex-Buffalo defenseman Jay McKee, for insight.O'Brien's father, Dan, played four seasons at Clarkson University and one in the ECHL, and his mother, Amy Turek, was a captain at Laurier University and played for the Canadian national women’s team from 1999 to 2000. Her father, Ed, played for the Canadian Football League's Hamilton Tiger-Cats and won a Grey Cup.
Roger McQueen, center, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL): An upper-body injury forced McQueen to miss all but 20 games this season. He had 10 goals with 20 points in 17 regular-season games, and he's still a highly-ranked prospect because of what he showed in the WHL in 2024-25. He has an excellent shot and plays reliable defense. McQueen is 6-foot-5 and 197 pounds, a blend of size and skill that make him a player to watch for the Sabres.
Victor Eklund, winger, Djurgardens (SHL): The Sabres tried to move back into the top 10 of the 2021 draft to select Eklund's older brother, William, who went seventh overall to the San Jose Sharks, and they will be drawn to Victor's mature, two-way approach as a winger. Eklund had 19 goals with 31 points in 42 games during the regular-season in Sweden's second-tier pro league, and he produced six points in seven games at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
