Updated
In the end, there weren't many surprises.
Jason Botterill's first NHL Draft as GM of the Buffalo Sabres went pretty much how he and his scouting team scripted it.
Botterill's maiden voyage as an NHL GM came to a successful close when with his seventh round pick he selected Swedish forward Linus Weissbach.
Weissbach is headed to the University of Wisconsin Badgers next season. Last season, he scored 19 goals and 47 points in 49 for Tri-City of the USHL.
The 5'8" and 165 lb. forward is a product of the legendary Frolunda program.
On day two of the NHL Draft, I discovered a trend.
The new Buffalo GM sure loves him some NCAA college hockey athletes, doesn't he?
Three of Botterill's seven Buffalo draft choices consisted of NCAA players:
Casey Mittelstadt (U Minnesota)
Jacob Bryson (Providence)
Linus Weissbach (Wisconsin).
On Friday morning, Botterill broke the news that Sabres fans were not prepared to accept. That is, Notre Dame goalie Cal Petersen is not signing his entry level contract with the Sabres, who drafted him in the fifth round of the 2013 NHL Draft. Petersen will become UFA on June 30 and will be signing will another NHL team.
Botterill obviously is undaunted by the Petersen decision.
The show must go on. Petersen's loss, not Buffalo's.
Botterill is a former University of Michigan star.
Botterill's NCAA DNA was a key marker for him for the ten seasons he worked alongside Ray shero and Jim Rutherford in Pittsburgh.
It's hard to argue with Pittsburgh's model for long term success.
They always seem to select the "right" players. In other words, the Penguins arecsticklers for drafting and developing smart, talented, highly competitive, hard working players.
Did you know that the 2016-17 Stanley Cup Pittsburgh Penguins were forced to play 36 different players (2 or more games) this this season? Injuries wreaked havoc on the Pens' lineup but they were able to adapt to and overcome the adversity.
Did you know that of the 36 total players To play at least two games for the Pens that 17 of them came from NCAA college hockey backgrounds?
It's true.
Take a look:
Phil Kessel (Minnesota), Jake Guentzel (Minnesota), Connor Sheary (UMass Amherst), Justin Schultz (Wisconsin), Nick Bonino (BU), Matt Cullen (St. Cloud State), Chris Kunitz (Ferris State), Bryan Rust (Notre Dame), Ian Cole (Notre Dame), Scott Wilson (UMass Lowell), Chad Ruhwedel (UMass Lowell), Brian Dumoulin (Boston College), Carter Rowney (North Dakota), Ron Hainsey (UMass Lowell), Kevin Porter (Michigan), Steve Olesky (Lake Superior State), Mike Condon (Princeton).
Botterill believes in drafting bigger, stronger college players rather than going the Canadian Hockey League route via the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL that Tim Murray preferred to take.
It's hard to argue with Botterill's approach to his first Buffalo Sabres draft. Botterill won three Stanley Cups in in eight seasons before leaving the Penguins for the Sabres.
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Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill wasted little time adding another high pace, high skill player to his organization in round two of the NHL Draft.
Botterill stuck to his "best player available" philosophy when he selected Swedish center/winger Marcus Davidsson with pick #37.
The Sabres have added several Swedish forwards in the past two seasons in Alex Nylander, Rasmus Asplund and now Marcus Davidsson.
Davidsson plays currently for Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Elite League.
Davidsson, 18, hails from Tyresö, Sweden. He's 6'0" and 195 lbs., and shoots left
Davidsson was ranked #12 by NHL Central Scouting (among European skaters).
The scouting report on Davidsson is that he is an attacking two-way forward who is blessed with fast hands and fast feet. Davidsson doesn't ignore the defensive side of the puck, and plays the PP and PK.
Davidsson has one year remaining on his SEL contract.
Botterill then invested pick #54 in a huge area of need: goaltending.
On Friday morning, Botterill announced that Notre Dame goalie Cal Petersen (5th round Buffalo 2013) would not be signing with Buffalo. With Petersen heading to unrestricted free agency on June 30, Botterill pick huge Finnish goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the 18 year old netminder from Espoo, Finland.
Luukkonen is 6'4"and 200 bs.
NHL Central Scouting had Luukonen slotted as the #1 ranked European goalie.
Luukonen has two years remaining on his contract with his club team in Finland.
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Botterill obviously went to the Draft with a plan to improve his forward depth and his goaltending.
Selecting Casey Mittelstadt, Marcus Davidsson, and Ukko-Pekka Luukanen.
Where are the defensemen, Jason?
Botterill will be acquiring his defensive solutions via trade.
Trading Evander Kane makes more sense today than it did leading up to the NHL Draft in Chicago.
Botterill is obviously interested in adding a plug and play defender rather than drafting a kid who won't play in Buffalo for 3 or 4 years.
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With the 89th pick, Botterill appeased me by selecting Oskari Laaksonen, a Finnish defenseman.
The 6'1" and 165 lb right D scored six goals and 13 assists last season playing junior hockey in Finland.
In the fourth round, Botterill grabbed an NCAA D-man, Jacob Bryson, from Providence College. Bryson (5'9" and 170 lbs.) scored three goals and 17 assists last season for The Friars in his first year of American college hockey.
Bryson rode shotgun last season for Anthony Florentino, Sabres 2013 5th rounder.
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The Sabres will host their annual prospect development camp inside HARBORCenter from July 8-11.
Sabres fans will get their first glimpses of 2017 draftees Casey Mittelstadt, Marcus Davidson, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Jacob Bryson, and Linus Weissbach. The 2015 draftees and others will be there, too. The exact roster, including free agent invitees, will be announced at a later date.
Jason Botterill's goal for the development camp are as follows:
• To introduce all prospects and free agent invitees to NHL lifestyle.
• The teaching of Sabres professional work habits and organizational standards
• Introduction of all players to resources of the Sabres development staff.
All sessions are open to the public. They are as follows:
Saturday, July 8: 2-3:30 pm & 4-5:30 pm
Sunday, July 9: 10-11:15 am & 2-3:15 pm
Monday, July 10: 10:30-11:45 am & 1:45-3 pm
The annual French Connection 3-v-3 Tournament will highlight the final day of development camp and start at 9:15 am on July 11.
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