Buffalo Sabres System Overview:

Kevin Devine, Director of Amateur Scouting:

The organization, well known for scouting through video is headed by Kevin Devine who just wrapped up his 4th year as Director of Amateur Scouting and 12th overall with Buffalo in a scouting capacity. He hasn’t been around long enough to truly evaluate his performance, albeit the 2008 class seems to be accelerating at a pace that Buffalo has to like.

First Round Picks:

2010: Mark Pysyk 23rd

2009: Zach Kassian 13th

2008: Tyler Myers 12th, Tyler Ennis 26th

Scott Schranz, Director of Amateur Scouting Operations:

Scott’s contributions to the scouting aspect are limited mainly to the fiscal and background aspects, be it handling the scouting staff’s finances and scheduling. He also was one of the key pieces in creating the video scouting system Buffalo uses.

Five Year Draft Analysis (05-09):

The Sabres have always been great drafters who over the years have consistently been able to take single draft classes and turn them into three to five NHL players.  They may not have the super-star draft record, although Tyler Myers may soon change that, but their overall drafting the last decade or so has been amongst the best in the league.

The 2005 draft started with the Sabres taking a late birth date kid out of the QMJHL in Marek Zagrapan. He struggled to produce once he turned pro after a good Q career and ended up signing in the KHL due to an inability to crack the Buffalo roster. Chris Butler, their 4th round pick that year really turned an offensive corner once he went to Denver and showed the NHL tools that he’s brought to Buffalo the last two years. Their 5th round pick Nathan Gerbe has spotted at times, and the very small forward is looking to stick going into this year.

The 2006 first round pick in Dennis Persson also hasn’t worked out as planned, even though he came over in 2010 for his first North American season he has way too many holes in his game to project to the NHL.  Their second round pick Jhonas Enorth is a goalie who’s actually panned out relatively well however he faces the eternal roadblock in Ryan Miller. Mike Weber is a solid defender whose spotted a few times and is a bit away from nailing down a starting spot.

The 2007 Draft didn’t go so well for Buffalo who didn’t have a first round pick although they did pick at 31 and took T.J. Brennan who right now looks like the only one with a chance at eventually making it.

In 2008 the Sabres hit gold with Tyler Myers, who developed magnificently and is now one of the best assemblages of tools emerging onto the NHL scene. Tyler Ennis’s first pro season went spectacular and the skilled forward is projecting well as an NHL forward. Luke Adam wrapped up a solid QMJHL career and is a guy to watch as he turns pro.

2009 first round pick Zach Kassian had a troublesome year, after being traded to Windsor he was suspended for a vicious hit, and then got into more trouble celebrating after their Memorial Cup victory. His play on the ice also wasn’t at the level many were hoping it to be.

Here are the stats from the Sabres 2005-2009 draft picks. This is production they got on their team and doesn’t factor if a prospect left and produced elsewhere,

37 Draft Picks    248 Games Played    19 Goals    93 Points

Organizational Overview:

With Tyler Ennis having a fantastic pro debut and moving on, the top of the Sabres depth chart loses upside and rather has more projectability. Their first rounder this year in Mark Pysyk is a fine skating defender who shows the smarts and physical attributes to one day be skating and eating minutes for Buffalo. Kassian has upside due to his physical tools but there are question marks around his game and even more so around his character.

The organization’s depth stems in all positions. In net they have Connor Knapp but Jhonas Enroth is the big name there and while he may end up as a number two guy in Buffalo he’s shown great technical skills to be a NHL goalie. Kevin Sundher is a smaller, skilled forward who in my opinion has pro upside due to his natural skills. Brayden McNabb is another physically blessed project in the Buffalo system that if he transits well to the AHL could end up being a surprise, although he does have a ways to go.

The system overall is loaded with defenseman and it wouldn’t be a surprise in five years to see 2 and maybe even 3 of these names in our top ten be everyday starters for the Sabres. They are lacking a legit high-end prospect, but after churning out Tyler Myers and Ennis it isn’t exactly due to the fact that they are unable.

Top 10 Prospects:

Corey Pronman grades the the top 5 prospects on the 20-80 scale. To see an explanation of this grading system, please click here.

1.) Mark Pysyk, Defense

Report: Taken from my Top 100 Draft Prospects.

One of the things that jump out at you when you watch Pysyk is his amazing skating ability. His all-around mobility allows him to do so many things. The stride is very smooth, and his legs create a dangerous amount of burst on every push. In his own end, he can stick with nearly any forward and neutralize their attack and rarely gets caught out of position. With Edmonton he was trusted to do everything, log 25 minutes, check the other team’s top players and man the powerplay. On the offensive side of the puck, he makes a smart first pass and can lead the breakout or jump in the rush swiftly with his skating ability as well as quarterbacking a powerplay relatively well. His hockey sense is very good, and his decision-making, especially at top-speed, is very impressive. He could stand to be more physical, as he has the frame and skating to be able to explode into someone. His upside may not be that of a top-end defenseman because of his lack of high-end offensive skills; however he will be able to fit into multiple roles on a pro team and could turn into a great number two or three defender. He has to develop a little more physically and bulk up to be able to handle stronger forwards.

Skating: 60
Puck Skills: 50
Shot: 40
Physical Game: 40
Hockey Sense: 55

2.) Zach Kassian, Right Wing:

Report: Kassian is a very physically advanced kid. His body is very filled out for a guy finishing his 3rd OHL season and he uses it to his advantage. He goes into all the high traffic areas and is a fierce competitor with a mean streak when he goes there. He can protect the puck well and is good at muscling people off the puck. His strength is also apparent when he wires a shot as he can put good velocity behind it although it can be fairly inaccurate. His attempt to be physical can get him in trouble be it with bad penalties or taking himself out of position to deliver a big hit. His offensive skills are fine but nothing amazing. He can move well for his size and is fair at handling the puck. If his work ethic was more consistent, then his combination of physical and natural skills would produce more offense but he has a tendency to disappear for long periods.

Skating: 50
Puck Skills: 45
Shot: 40
Physical Game: 55
Hockey Sense: 35

3.) Jhonas Enroth, Goalie:

Report from Justin Goldman:

With the NHL preparing to adopt all-new sizing regulations for leg pads, Jhonas Enroth will fall in the small percentile of goalies that are adversely impacted by the new rules. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 174 pounds, the former Elitserien Rookie of the Year nominee (2007-08) might very well look even smaller in the net than he did last season.

These leg pad size restrictions, which limit the distance (height in inches) the leg pads can reach while resting on the ice, combined with a late-season injury in Portland and then the recent re-signing of Patrick Lalime, are two steps back after taking one giant step forward.

That small leap forward took place on November 7, 2009 when the small-framed Enroth made his NHL debut with the Sabres. As with any goaltending prospect, scouts everywhere watched that game closely, as its atmosphere and surroundings were essential to having an accurate view his ability to perform in the NHL.

Enroth’s debut happened to take place in very menacing and difficult surroundings. The game was in Boston and the Sabres were flat from the get-go, as it was their second consecutive game and the third in four nights. An early Bruins power play led to Mark Recchi re-directing a shot from the point just 3:17 into the game, one that squeezed under Enroth’s right arm as he was sliding from right to left.

So one of the first NHL shots Enroth ever faced was a tricky re-direction from a wily veteran that went against the grain and right through him. That’s not the kind of start a promising goalie prospect like Enroth wants to face. He would go on to make 33 quality saves, but lose the game 4-2 due in large part to Boston’s two power play goals in the first period. After the game, Enroth stated his nerves were not that bothersome, but his demeanor and body language in the first period said otherwise.

Credit should be given to how he handled the situation mentally, however. He was calmer and more composed after giving up the third goal, and settled into a much better rhythm in the third period. But the outing was still considered by many fans and analysts as an unsuccessful attempt at proving he was ready for an NHL backup job.

Even though it was Enroth’s first game in the NHL, scouts were able to extract plenty of information on his potential. It was clear that he would have to continue working extremely hard in order to claim an NHL job and bulk up at the same time. He certainly displayed the agility and quickness to thrive in the NHL, but would still struggle in areas such as rebound control, durability and effectively eliminating the corners by challenging shooters outside of his crease.

As such, another season as the defensive leader in Portland should allow him to adjust to his slightly smaller pads and continue to hone his ability to manage heavy minutes. Just like with all small-framed goalies, Enroth needs to improve his depth in the net by challenging shooters more effectively. This is a process that is directly related to his overall confidence, so gaining some more muscle and entering camp stronger than last year will really help his cause.

Below-average size forces him to rely more on reflexes than positioning … has above-average quickness and excellent agility in the crease … above-average skating ability allows him to move laterally with ease … plays a very tight Swedish butterfly style similar to Johan Hedberg and Erik Ersberg … strong eye-hand coordination gives him above-average glove and blocker hand skills … displayed very weak rebound control in his first career NHL game … must improve in areas of net coverage, challenging shooters and bulking up in order to claim any kind of NHL role … displays tremendous patience on breakaway or odd-man situations … does not challenge out far enough to compensate for his lack of size … very tight butterfly is effective at closing the five, six and seven holes, but exposes more space in the top and lower corners … above-average puck-moving and passing skills … is easily screened and his vision is often eliminated in traffic … has above-average scrambling skills and covers pucks well … excellent short-range game due to his quick and sharp footwork and lighter frame.

Reflexes: 55
Athleticism: 55
Hockey Sense: 50
Size: 40
Rebound Control: 40

4.) Kevin Sundher, Center:

Report: Taken from my Top 100 Draft Prospects.
The first thing you notice when you watch Sundher is his skating, he bursts out of the gate with great top speed and the agility to make quick moves on a dime. He has good vision and will often pull up on the sideboards to look for open teammates. He can weave in and out of traffic well and is elusive when moving. His shot is average, although he was still was able to get it past WHL goalies but it certainly doesn’t look like it will translate well to the pros. Sundher reads the play well in all zones, and will support his defense in the defensive zone. He can take bad penalties, be it from getting too chippy in the corners or from frustration. His effort level can be on and off, and it’s apparent because Sundher is so tenacious when he’s on.

Skating: 60
Puck Skills: 55
Shot: 45
Physical Game: 35
Hockey Sense: 50

5.) Brayden McNabb, Defense:

Report from Scott MacDougall:

McNabb was once looked upon as a stay-at-home defenseman for his rough and tough defensive game.  That was before McNabb hit his stride offensively back in the January of 2009.  Since then, he looks to have developed into a two-way player as McNabb has been a nearly point per game defenseman for the Kootenay Ice and was named to the WHL Eastern Conference 1st All-Star team this past season.  Both his shot and first pass have improved and McNabb combines them with good offensive instincts to put up high point totals with the Ice.  McNabb’s greatest strengths are his size and his physical play.  He also thinks the game fairly well.  At around 6’4 and 200 lbs, McNabb has very good size and he loves to throw big open ice hits.  He is also a very willing and able fighter.  While his skating is not as bad as is sometimes advertised, it is an issue that he needs to clean up.  McNabb has decent speed, but his skating in transition and his agility are a bit of a concern. Faster players have exposed him by beating him to the outside.  He can also be caught flat-footed on the counter attack when his team is trying to move the puck up through the neutral zone.  That being said, McNabb is a good defender that can physically intimidate. 

Skating: 35
Puck Skills: 50
Shot: 45
Physical Game: 55
Hockey Sense: 50

6.) Luke Adam, Center

Report from Vassili Cremanzidis:

Adam uses his size to his advantage by heading to the net with and without the puck and fighting off defenders. He is a below average skater but can possibly develop his skating as he continues to grow as a player. He has a good quick shot, passes well, and is often in the right position, which covers up some of his skating issues.

7.) Mike Weber, Defense:

Report: Weber isn’t a flashy defenseman but he has displayed a solid stay at home game since turning pro. He plays pretty physical along the walls and has filled out nicely. He makes smart reads and knows when to use his stick or play the body. He lacks true raw skills to project as a top four guy, but he can be a steady 3rd pairing guy at the NHL level.

8.) T.J. Brennan, Defense:

Report: Brennan is a smooth skater, who can get up the ice with relative ease and can carry the puck. He produces most of his offense by being a solid distributor and making heads-up passes. His physical game is underwhelming and he has trouble at times attempting to win battles. His defensive game was an issue for a while and he still has issues in that area, you can see he’s made an effort to improve it somewhat.

9.) Marc-Andre Gragnani, Defense:

Report: Gragnani’s future is up in the air at the moment, where the organization sees him as a defenseman or a bottom liner who can spot on the powerplay remains to be seen. He’s a very poor defenseman who is overwhelmed at the AHL level when it comes to his defensive duties. He has above-average puck skills and can be a threat from the sideboards or holding the puck up high on the point and controlling the powerplay.

10.) Matt Mackenzie, Defense

Report: Mackenzie is one of those defenders you never hear about much, but for good reason, Matt plays a very simple and sound two-way defensive game and has been very effective at it. He has a good stick in the defensive zone, knocks passes away and clears the attacking pressure well, also is good at protecting his crease. He’s calm when moving the puck, making a sound first outlet pass and he makes smart decisions in his own end and in the neutral zone. His pure speed isn’t that great, although his defensive mobility is solid and his offensive upside is limited and you won’t see him on the powerplay of a pro team anytime soon. He projects to be a decent 2nd pairing guy with a little added bulk if he reaches his potential; he can kill penalties and be relied on to give solid nightly minutes. He doesn’t need to be coached and refined too much as the Hitmen have done a great job with Mackenzie.

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