Hamilton Take 2: Sabers should trade 11th overall pick

BUFFALO, N.Y. — For the first time since 2010, there was no movement in the NHL Draft, so the Buffalo Sabers remain at the 11th pick and the San Jose Sharks remain at No. 1 by winning the lottery.

For my money, it doesn’t matter if the Sabers win the lottery or stay at 11. If I’m Kevyn Adams, I’m looking to trade the pick.

There are plenty of high-end talents in the works, including Devon Levi, Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen, Matt Savoie, Ryan Johnson, Anton Wahlberg, Vsevolod Komarov, Nikita Novikov, Maxim Strbak and Prokhor Poltapov.

Young players already with the Sabers include Owen Power, Bo Byram, Mattias Samuelsson, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Dylan Cozens, Zach Benson, Jack Quinn and Peyton Krebs.

The cupboard has been more than restocked and it’s time to treat some of that as bargaining chip, including the 11th overall pick on June 28.

Before Lindy Ruff was hired as coach, NHL players weren’t really interested in brandishing a no-movement clause, because for most of the season the Sabers seemed lost, disorganized and a team that had no responsibility. I think how much does hiring Ruff change that?

If I’m Adams, I’m looking to trade the pick for a top 6 forward. If the player coming to Buffalo is good enough, I’d also be interested in sweetening the trade by adding another prospect if that was the only way to close the deal. Adams knows he made a mistake last summer in thinking everyone was going to improve. He had a rude awakening when everyone regressed except Luukkonen, Peterka, Jacob Bryson and Henri Jokiharju.

You never want to overpay in a deal, but a pick and prospect would be worth it if it landed you the right person.

It completely amazes me that two years ago, Dylan Cozens was playing left wing at the World Championships and leading the Canadian team with seven goals, but he was never tested by the Sabers on the left wing. If you’re getting a top center, move Cozens to left wing instead of right wing and see if you get the same results.

The Buffalo Sabers took the best defenseman in team history with the 11th overall pick. Mike Ramsey was drafted in 1979 and should already have his number 5 in the arena rafters.

I went back 25 years and there were only a few really good picks at 11th. The best came in 2005, when the Los Angeles Kings drafted Anze Kopitar. In 2003, the Philadelphia Flyers nabbed Jeff Carter and in 2012, the Washington Capitals nabbed Filip Forsberg.