Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres Top Prospects – #38: Sean Keohane
The Buffalo Sabres have drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL (Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Dylan Cozens), and the club under former GM Jason Botterill and current GM Kevyn Adams have been able to replenish the organization with young prospects. Throughout the month of August and leading into training camp next month, we will rank the club’s top prospects over the upcoming weeks based on their progress in either the NCAA, CHL, Europe, ECHL or AHL and their potential to make the Sabres roster and make a contribution in the future. Players are eligible for the list if they have not played more than 40 NHL games and are 25 years old or younger:
#38 Sean Keohane
The Sabres went for long-term defensive developmental projects with later picks in the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, like German blueliner Norwin Panocha in the seventh round and their sixth-rounder Sean Keohane. The suburban Boston product attended Dexter Southfield H.S. and combines enticing size (6’4″, 194 lb.) skating ability, and physicality.
“Keohane plays a sound two-way game with few mistakes but also with few dynamic offensive plays. He has good size and range (and) makes a consistent first pass on the tape and showed the ability to stretch the ice up the middle and spring teammates for breakaways with his ability to quickly read and react.” Hockey Prospect.com’s Black Book said.
“He has a long and fluid stride, (but) doesn’t have a dynamic first step but has a powerful stride that can separate from pressure well. Uses his range well defensively, both against the rush as well as when defending the dots, uses an active stick to take away time and space well, and defends the dots. We would have liked to see more intensity on defense and seen him use his size to his advantage against opponents in the crease area. Times he was far too easy to play against in the hard areas for a player of his stature.”
Congratulations to Sean Keohane ’23 and Matt Copponi ’21 on being drafted into the @NHL today! Sean was selected by @BuffaloSabres & Matt was taken by @EdmontonOilers pic.twitter.com/tkiiSFjplE
— Dexter Southfield Athletics (@DXSF_Athletics) June 29, 2023
Keohane is committed to Harvard University but is expected to play a season with Tri-City in the USHL to prep for the NCAA. While in need of years of development, the 18-year-old appears to have the tools that could yield an NHL blueliner down the line.