Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula met with prospects during the NHL Combine on Saturday in Buffalo.
The NHL Scouting Combine wrapped up in Buffalo on Saturday afternoon, just over a month ahead of the league’s draft in Montreal.
The Buffalo Sabres own three picks in the first round, starting at No. 9.
Forward Conor Geekie, the fifth-ranked North American skater, would be a nice addition to the team if he fell to the Sabres’ pick. He has size, and the Sabres need that up front.
Buffalo will also select players at No. 16 overall, from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Jack Eichel trade, and No. 28 overall, from the Florida Panthers in the Sam Reinhart trade.
University of Denver forward Jack Devine is a potential late first-rounder, or he could be picked up with the Sabres’ early second-round pick.
The Sabres met with Devine during the scouting combine this week, and owner Terry Pegula was there to join the team’s management.
“It was really cool. I've only met one or two owners my past and he seemed like a really good guy,” Devine told 2 On Your Side’s Julianne Pelusi at the combine. “I think it's really cool that truly cares about the franchise enough to sit in on these meetings and meet the players that have come through here."
It’s clear Buffalo is still looking for culture, too. Sabres management isn’t looking to stray away from the strong chemistry it built in the dressing room over the past year. Devine fits the bill.
“I think if you don't have character guys, you can have talent, but you need that character in the locker room and those good people because you can kind of come together as a brotherhood and have that chemistry,” Devine said.
It sounds like something we heard last season from a former Sabres’ No. 1 overall pick, after their win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Heritage Classic.
"You can really see we're brothers in the locker room,” defenseman Rasmus Dahlin said back in March. “We care about each other and we have something really good going on."
The Sabres also need to add a right-handed defenseman and a goalie, but with where they’re picking, they won’t be able to immediately address those needs through the draft.
The NHL Draft begins on July 7 in Montreal.
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