With the 2024 NHL Draft now concluded, the Buffalo Sabres have finalized all of their picks, and having done so, they had a very successful two days of selections. While there were some expectations that more trades would be made on the Sabres’ end, they were only able to get a smaller deal done by the end of the weekend for one roster player. Regardless of that, the focus should be placed on the value of the prospects that they did end up selecting, and what those new prospects add to their system.
From round to round, general manager Kevyn Adams found a lot of talent and filled a lot of holes in their system extremely well. The players selected all have a combination of skill and hockey sense that will add up to being molded into some solid future Sabres. With that being said, here are the selections they made by round, and their grades.
First Round #14 Overall – Konsta Helenius, Center
Not too long ago, I spoke about how great it would be if the Sabres chose Konsta Helenius at the 11th overall selection, but a couple of days before the draft, they made a trade with the San Jose Sharks to move down to the 14th overall pick, and they still were able to pick this kid up. Helenius is a highly intelligent playmaking two-way center with some of the best creative instincts in this draft. He stands 5-foot-11 but he plays bigger than what his size would suggest.
He does not shy away from physicality, and he is not against using his body to make space to start or finish a play. As a future center, he fits perfectly into the Sabres’ future system in the way that he plays, and he has the potential to be one of their most impactful players in just a few years if developed right. He is a home run pick, through and through. The Sabres get an A+ grade for choosing him at 14.
Second Round #42 Overall – Adam Kleber, Defense
The Sabres’ defensive prospect pool has been depleted over the years as most of their top players have graduated to the NHL. With only a handful left in development, they decided to go with a towering kid with some defensive and physical acumen in Adam Kleber. Standing at a massive 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, he has the base size to be an NHL defender. On top of that, he is right-handed, so the Sabres also add something else they need in their system desperately as they put a potentially huge defensive asset in their prospect pool. Kleber has some offensive skills to go with his defensive abilities so he is not a one-dimensional player, and that fits him into the Sabres identity well. He will not likely play on their roster for a number of years, but with the right development, he could see NHL ice time sooner than some might think. He is another outstanding selection for Buffalo in the second round, and they get another A for this one.
Third Round #71 Overall – Brodie Ziemer, Right Wing
A culture guy through and through, and a depth player with a motor that never quits, Brodie Zeimer is a high-value pick for the Sabres in the third round. He captained the US National Development Team (USNTP) and helped lead them to a silver medal at the U18 World Championship all while being a key contributor on the ice with nine points in seven games. As far as his ceiling goes and his future on the Sabres roster, he will likely top out as a middle-six player.
With how he is as a person, and as a leader, he is the type of prospect that can really help carry the culture throughout a team’s system, so he adds even more value to the Sabres in that way. As a player, he is smart, he can score, he goes to the net, and he works extremely hard. The Sabres made a very calculated and rock-solid choice making this pick, and I give them a B+ for this one.
Fourth Round #108 Overall – Luke Osburn, Defense
The Sabres make another defensive prospect selection, and in Luke Osburn, they get a solid two-way defender. He can shoot and defend well and plays a close-quarter shutdown game in the defensive zone. The Sabres have plenty of time to let his development simmer as he goes to college since he is committed to the University of Wisconsin, but while he is there he needs to work on his skating more if he is going to make it in the Sabres’ system long term. At his best, I see him as a good shutdown third-pairing defender if he makes it to the NHL, and those are always in demand, so having another one in development is always nice. I give the Sabres an even C grade for this pick.
Fourth Round #123 Overall – Simon-Pier Brunet, Defense
Another solid defensive defender, and another right-haded shot added to the group, the Sabres continue to go for the defenders in this draft. Simon-Pier Brunet has some size to him standing at 6-foot-2 and 196 pounds so he has an NHL frame already, but he will need to continue developing his hockey sense beyond just one zone. His offensive awareness is lacking when it should sometimes be there and in a Sabres system where transitionary play is key, he will need to learn how to adjust if he is going to make it long-term. He is a good pick, and I would even consider him slightly better than their earlier pick so I will give them a C+ for this one.
Sixth Round #172 Overall – Patrick Geary, Defense
This one is the Sabres’ “local boy” pick that they seem to make now and again in the late rounds. A former Buffalo Jr. Sabre and Hamburg, NY native, Patrick Geary is a physical defender with a mean side. He is a decent defender with the ability to step up and make hits, but he is mainly there to rack up penalty minutes. From 2021-2023 in the United States Hockey League (USHL) he totaled 212 penalty minutes (PIM) in 115 games, and in 32 games with Michigan State in 2023-24 he had 30 PIM. They made the local kid’s dream come true, and if he turns into something, that becomes a really cool story down the road. I give the Sabres a B- for this one. Super low risk on a low pick, and they could use the good press if something like this becomes a big story.
Seventh Round #204 Overall – Vasily Zelenov, Right Wing
Getting this deep into the draft, the Sabres make a forward pick instead of a defender. Vasily Zelenov is a solid scorer as he had 14 goals and 37 points in 40 games in the Alps Hockey League. There is not much more to this pick other than a potential future bottom-six winger, but with clear playmaking and scoring abilities, this pick is another low-risk move. I give it a mid-rank grade of C.
Seventh Round #219 Overall – Ryerson Leenders, Goaltender
The Sabres add to their existing goaltending prospect pool with a decent pick here. Ryerson Leenders is a 6-foot-2 goalie with some decent vision in the net, and good reflexes. He had a 24-17-4 record, a 3.12 goals-against average (GAA), and a .909 save percentage (SV%) in 46 games in 2023-24, and those numbers leave some good room for improvement at the junior level. He still has a lot of development left to do as he will go back to the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), but as the Sabres’ goaltending in the NHL is set for the time being, there is no reason to think he would need to be NHL ready within a timeframe sooner than 5-6 years. As their last pick, picking a goaltender is always a good idea, as they can be very volatile, so the Sabres make a solid move with their extra seventh-rounder here. I give them a B- for this pick.
Summing Up Sabres’ Draft Day
Beyond their draft picks, they did make one player trade when they moved one of their second-round picks (#43 overall) to the Washington Capitals in exchange for forward Beck Malenstyn. In this move, the Sabres get a fourth-line bruiser that can block shots, throw hits, and skate hard. Paying a second-round pick for a fourth liner is a high price to pay, so that move leaves some heads to be scratched for sure, but at the end of the day, the Sabres do get help in an area where they severely lacked this season in exchange for a pick that they really did not need.
Related – Sabres May Benefit From Buying Out Jeff Skinner
Overall, in regards to grading the picks made, the Sabres are going to get a resounding A grade. Their early-round picks are stellar, and their mid-round picks are solid. None of them were so off the board that it left me wondering why; rather, every pick made had me excited to see what the next one was going to be. This draft added a lot of very good talent to their prospect pool, and it replenished the one thing they lacked severely, and that was defense. They added some right-handed defenders, and some physicality combined with skill. Now with the draft over, the Sabres need to look forward to free agency and get some work done for their immediate roster.
