7 to 11 | Potential advanced options for the Sabers in the 1st round

Catton was a popular selection in Buffalo early mock drafts for media – some of whom compare his profile to that of last year’s first-round pick, Zach Benson.

Catton is a highly skilled and highly productive 5-foot-10 WHL player – all qualities he shares with Benson, who played 71 games for the Sabers as an 18-year-old last season.

Peters was among the analysts who offered Catton to the Sabers in his mock draft.

“He’s a speed demon,” Peters said. “He has so much speed and creativity and he plays with pace, and I think in the modern NHL, those kinds of players can still make an impact, no matter how big they are.”

Morreale compared Catton to Utah forward Clayton Keller, another 5-foot-10 player who was selected to four All-Star Games.

“(Keller) is just a kid that you can throw into any situation, and sometimes he becomes a highlight,” Morreale said. “And that’s where I see Berkly. But Benson is also in that mold.

What he says :

Catton said he met with the Sabers at the NHL scouting party in Buffalo, where they talked about Benson’s development as well as that of fellow forward Matt Savoie.

“You know, you look at their kind of track record with Benson and Savoie – similar to mine, I think, in a lot of ways,” he said. “So talking about it with them and just being here obviously, talking about the facilities and the people I’ve met with the Sabers and all that. We had a very good conversation.

Cole Eiserman – LW, USA U-18 (NTDP)

6-foot-0, 195 pounds

Statistics 2023-24: 81 GP – 83 G – 40 A – 123 P

Eiserman broke the U.S. National Team Development Program career record with 127 goals in two seasons – one more than previous record holder Cole Caufield, now a three-time 20-goal scorer for the Montreal Canadiens.

While the question surrounding Caufield at the time of his draft centered on his size – he was ultimately selected 15th overall – the factor NHL teams must evaluate with Eiserman will be his ability to complement his offensive game beyond his sniper shot. He will begin his NCAA career at Boston University next season.

“I think it’s an interesting conversation to have,” Peters said. “But he’s the best scorer in the draft in terms of how he’s scored this season, and the variety of ways he can score. I think he certainly has immense talent when it comes to scoring goals.

What he says :

Although Eiserman’s shot is a weapon, he said he also takes pride in his ability to score around the net.

“I like being in the camp and trying to cause chaos,” he said. “You look at guys like Chris Kreider and Matthew Tkachuk, they just find goals out there. Especially when you get to the playoffs, you have to do it.

Igor Chernyshov – AG, Dynamo Moscow (KHL/MHL, Russia)

6 feet 2 inches, 192 pounds

Statistics 2023-24: 34 GP – 3 G – 1 A – 4 P (KHL), 22 GP – 13 G – 15 A – 28 P (MHL)

Chernyshov is not typically in the group of 15 at the top of most media rankings, ranking instead in the back half of the teens. This is, however, a player that Peters pointed to as being likely to go higher than expected due to his size and potential as a power forward.

Chernyshov already has professional experience playing against men in the Kontinental Hockey League, where he made his debut at the age of 16. When playing against his age group in the Russian Junior League (MHL), he averaged over a point per game.

“He’s one of those guys that kind of floats in that 15 to 20 to 25 range,” Peters said. “But he has size, he’s a good talent, he scores.”