Sabers mock draft summary | Buffalo Hockey Now

The NHL Draft is less than a week away, so it’s time to check out the draft gurus’ simulations for their predictions for the Buffalo Sabers at pick 11. Sabers general manager Kevyn Adams said that he had let the teams know that their selection was available via a trade. Nonetheless, assistant general manager Jerry Forton confirmed they have a group of players in mind for selection if they stay put.

Mock drafts from plugged-in, attentive media scouts are usually the best way to see who the Sabers might target. Forton hinted at a consensus top five or six draft pick across the league, ahead of a group of players who would be chosen based on team preference. This list includes Macklin Celebrini, Artyom Levshunov, Anton Silayev, Ivan Demidov and Cayden Lindstrom.

The Sabers have their pick of the next tier, once picks six through 10 are taken off the board. If Buffalo stays put and selects at 11, Forton said the hope is their seventh or eighth best prospect would fall to that spot. Since it will come down to preference, it’s possible the Sabers could opt out of the draft to fill a need while still taking the best player available.

Here are some players appearing in the Sabers mock drafts at pick 11:

Berkley Catton

Corey Pronman Athleticism and Sam Cosentino of Sports Network project Berkly Catton to the Sabers in their latest mock drafts. The WHL’s Spokane center is a playmaker who draws comparisons to Zach Benson for his size and competitiveness.

Catton would be an example of choosing the best player available regardless of needs. The Sabers selected forwards with their last five first-round picks and seven of their previous nine. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranks him eighth among the best North American skaters in the draft.

Unlike Benson, Catton would likely stay in junior hockey in 2024-25 to hone his defensive skills and add weight. He’s coming off a massive season with 54 goals and 116 points in 68 games, but it remains to be seen how that translates to the professional game.

Here is an excerpt from the EliteProspects 2024 NHL Draft Guide:

Whether it’s a well-timed charge in space to present himself as a shooting option on the pass or drawing a defender into a pokecheck before wrapping the puck around his stick and beating properly the goalkeeper from a distance – Catton always has the tool for the job. He has a full arsenal of builds in his toolbox and has the intelligence to use them for their most effective purposes.

Check out Corey Pronman’s latest mock draft on “The Athletic” here.

Check out Sam Cosentino’s latest mock draft on “Sportsnet” here.

New: Sabers organizational chart update

Carter Yakemchuk

The Sabers have their young star defensemen locked in long term, but the blue line prospect pool is pretty empty. Carter Yakemchuk from Calgary in the WHL is a right-handed defenseman who fills a big void in the organization.

Using similar project logic, Scott Wheeler of Athleticism and Craig Button of TSN making fun of Yakemchuk at the Sabres. He scored 30 goals last season in 66 games, demonstrating his knack for finding open shooting lanes in the offensive zone. He’s an impressive prospect who needs to round out his game, but, at 6’3″ and 202 pounds, he has the size to do it.

According to the final rankings of the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, Yakemchuk is the 11th best North American skater. EliteProspects also has good things to say in its draft guide:

Yakemchuk can manipulate opponents, make plays with perfect timing and create looks for his teammates with the threat of his shot from time to time. Consistent rush activations and weak lateral sprints from the offensive blue line kept him involved in the play, creating a higher volume and better quality of looks than most defenders can access.

Check out Scott Wheeler’s latest mock draft on “The Athletic” here.

Check out Craig Button’s latest mock version on “TSN” here.

Must Read: 3 Takeaways from Adams and Forton Presser

Zayne Parekh

Zayne Parekh is another right-handed defenseman including Chris Peters FloHockey.tv has the Sabers selecting in its latest mock draft. Parekh is ranked much higher than Catton and Yakemchuk by NHL Central Scouting, as he is listed as the fifth best North American skater.

Parekh is smaller than Yakemchuk at 6 feet and 178 pounds. His offensive numbers trump the Calgary product, however, as he has 33 goals and 96 points in 66 games for Saginaw of the OHL.

Peters compares Parekh’s skills to those of Bowen Byram and Rasmus Dahlin, as he is a deceptive and crafty offensive talent. Here’s what EliteProspects has to say about the Spirit defender:

Parekh is a legitimate manipulator. He doesn’t wait for holes to open up in the defensive coverage to make a play; he bends his adversaries to his will and makes these overtures. A combination of feints, feints, glances and manipulation skills sends the future pawns into the rotation cycle, and from each cloud of dust emerges Parekh, activating in space to improve the condition of each game before to make his decision with the puck.

Check out Chris Peters’ latest draft on “FloHockey.tv” here.

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