BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Sabres will have three first-round picks in the 2022 NHL Draft after the lottery landed their own selection at No. 9.
Buffalo will also get the No. 16 pick from the Vegas Golden Knights, acquired in the Jack Eichel trade - along with forwards Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs and a 2023 second round pick - and a late first-rounder from the Florida Panthers in exchange from Sam Reinhart - which came with goalie prospect Devon Levi.
The final slot will be decided once the Panthers are either eliminated from the playoffs or win the Stanley Cup Final.
"I would expect that we would make our three picks. I believe in the pipeline you have to build. When we talk about long-term sustainable success, you need talent," Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said after the team's exit interviews last Tuesday.
"You need talent that can come up from Rochester, and you don't have to rush them. You can let them grow and develop. And then when they're ready, boom, they're here and they're ready to be impactful, not just surviving."
The Sabres selected defenseman Owen Power with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
The number one pick in the 2022 NHL Draft goes to the Montreal Canadiens. The second will go to the New Jersey Devils and the third to the Arizona Coyotes.
