Sabres Trade Down From 11 Overall to 14 in Draft

The Buffalo Sabres announced Thursday that they traded the 11th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the 14th overall selection and the Sharks’ second-round pick (42nd overall) that originally belonged to New Jersey. General Manager Kevyn Adams hinted that the team was looking to trade back in the draft in his pre-draft media availability.

After trade down of three draft slots, the Sabres now hold the 14th overall selection, as well as two seconds, a third, two fourths, a fifth, a sixth, and a seventh. The abundance of draft picks is considered a luxury, as Buffalo is widely considered to have one of the best prospect pools in the league.

One of the themes of Adams’ media availability was how the Sabres are ready to turn futures into immediate NHL talent and win now. This trade adds another pick at their disposal to do that. Packaging picks and prospects could net the Sabres one of the elite talents with contract uncertainty, and Buffalo has the cap space to award any player acquired a significant extension.

Prominent insiders around the league have hinted at names such as Martin Necas, Pavel Buchnevich, and Nikolaj Ehlers being available. The Toronto Maple Leafs are also in a cap bind, suggesting they might be considering trading either Mitch Marner or John Tavares to break up their “core four”.

Skinner Buyout

The Sabres are also reportedly buying out Jeff Skinner, who has three years remaining on his contract. Buying out the 32-year-old frees up over $7.5 million on their cap next season, bolstering Buffalo’s ability to weaponize their cap space. After a buyout, the Sabres will have just north of $31 million in cap room heading into the draft and free agency.

More: Report: Sabres to Buyout Jeff Skinner

Draft Options

If the Sabres don’t trade the 14th overall selection, their quality of draft options isn’t expected to change. Assistant General Manager Jerry Forton noted that there’s not much separation between the sixth to 15th-best prospects in the draft. Team preference will determine who is available.

Must Read: Sabres Mock Draft Roundup

As for what’s next, it could be big. Stay tuned.