It's been a year since the last top 10 prospect article from the Buffalo Sabres which can be found here http://new.brhl.net/article/view/745. As a rebuilding team we could easily list a top 20, but let's just focus on a top 10 and leave the rest open for debate. Lots of cuts from the list this year, three of those cuts were listed in last years top 10. Those cuts were RHD Lassi Thomson, C Alexander Khovanov, and RW Jesse Ylonen. Ylonen and Thomson had pretty good debuts in the AHL this past season while Khovanov disappointed by not sticking on his KHL team but did have good numbers in the VHL.

There were also lots of graduations from the prospect list, Gabriel Vilardi was up with the Kings all season and put up respectable numbers. Nils Hoglander had a tremendous rookie campaign finishing 8th in Calder voting. Ty Smith was acquired in a trade with Calgary in the BRHL, he finished one spot ahead of Hoglander in Calder voting. Young forwards Michael McLeod and Nicolas Roy had good but not great seasons, but good enough to hang around in teams bottom 6. Also forward Arttu Ruotsalainen and defender Dennis Cholowski are graduates from our prospect list but have some work to do to become mainstays on their respective NHL squads.

Let's dig into this top 10 list:

1. Jamie Drysdale RHD 5'11" 174 lbs - Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

Drysdale looks to have solidified a spot on the Ducks blueline next season. He leap frogs over last years number 1 prospect to take top honours in Buffalo's system. While not in the elite tier of prospects, he's damn close to it. Skating and good quick decision making are his bread and butter and he showcased that last season, such a poised player for his age. Should be heading up the Ducks PP for years to come. His shot could use some work, but it's accurate and finds holes through traffic. That should improve as he continues to grow and gain strenght. He's definitely more of a pass first guy rather than a shooter.

Potential: 1st pairing PP QB / Acquired: 6th overall 2021 BRHL draft

2. Alex Turcotte C 5'11" 185 lbs - Ontario Reign (AHL)

Zone exits are still a concern for Turcotte, but he did have a decent pro debut this past season. One worrying thing that sticks out about Turcotte is his play style for his size. He plays an agressive game style that puts his body on the line in order to make plays, the concern is his body may not be able to hold up to the punishment and injuries could start to pile up. The playmaking and vision on the ice is still top notch and separates him from the rest of the forwads on this list. He's also commited to the defensive side of the game and takes pride in his two-way play. Might be best to use him on the wing with all the center talent ahead of him on the Kings depth chart.

Potential: Top 6 playmaker / Acquired: 7th overall 2020 BRHL draft

3. Evan Bouchard RHD 6'3" 194 lbs - Edmonton Oilers (NHL)

What was Edmonton doing with Bouchard last year? The talented blueliner was stuck in the pressbox most of the season and only appeared in 14 NHL games. During those 14 games he looked like one of the best decision makers with the puck on the Oilers blueline. His shot was NHL calibre coming out of juniors and that would be a welcome weapon on the Oilers PP. I would think he makes the Oilers out of camp this year and should have a pretty good mentor in Keith. Don't expect huge offensive numbers from him this year as he just needs to focus on his elite puck moving.

Potential: Top 4 two-way D / Acquired: 11th overall 2019 BRHL draft

4. Thomas Bordeleau C 5'10" 179 lbs - University of Michigan Wolverines (NCAA)

Bordeleau led the stacked Wolverines in scoring last year, raking up 8 goals and 22 asssits for 30 points on the year. The offensive dynamo doesn't have many weaknesses in his game, as I've mentioned before his skating could use some refinement and he could use some time to bulk up but these are minor things. I think these were maybe reasons he fell in the NHL draft but I thought he'd be long gone by the time I picked at 30th in our draft. Lucky for me he wasn't! He might end up as a winger at the pro level but I could see him adding strength as he continues his development at Michigan.

Potential: Top 6 offensive forward / Acquired: 30th overall 2021 BRHL draft

5. Joseph Veleno C 6'1" 194 lbs - Detroit Red Wings (NHL)

Veleno headed over to the SHL last season instead of waiting around for the NHL to start, this was a good call from the Wings management but ensured Veleno would be gone for the majority of the season as SHL teams loans had to be for their entire season. When Veleno returned he was in the AHL for a short stop before ending the season in the NHL. He gets praise for his defensive work and a two-way forward appears to be his path to the NHL, the biggest unknown is how his offense will translate to the NHL. That will determine if he is just a bottom 6 player or if there is 2nd line upside there still.

Potential: 2nd line two-way center / Acquired: 19th overall 2018 BRHL draft

6. Zac Jones LHD 5'10" 172 lbs - New York Rangers (NHL)

Lots of accolades for Jones this past season, USCHO first team all-star, NCAA champion, Bronze medal at the WC and a top 3 player on that team. He also showcased his talents this year in 10 games for the Rangers and didn't look out of place at all. Skating and carrying the puck are the biggest assets to his game, he's great with zone entries and can hit teammates with crisp accurate passes. He's been described as a left handed Adam Fox, that's probably not a fair comparison but does show his play style well.

Potential: Top 4 puck-moving dman / Acquired: 45th overall 2020 BRHL draft

7. Ian Mitchell RHD 5'11" 174 lbs - Chicago BLackhawks (NHL)

Mitchell had an up and down year in his first pro season. He was frequently scratched and was moved between NHL & AHL often. Not an ideal environment to develop at all, he actually looked far better in the NHL than in the AHL. He's an offensive defenseman that struggled to put up meaningful numbers last year which is a bit concerning, though he did play sheltered minutes. He'll need to step up offensively this season but it does look like a roster spot is there for the taking. The best asset he has is his skating, he needs to work on getting pucks through to teammates next year.

Potential: Top 4 Offensive Dman / Acquired: Trade: Rasmus Ristolainen (retained 1 year) & Cash for Ian Mitchell, Nils Hoglander (Win 1st 2020) & Trent Miner (Edm 7th 2020)

8. Nikita Alexandrov C 6'0" 193 lbs - Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL)

Nikita put together some strong offensive performances in the Q and internationally against his peers. He went to Liiga last year and played for KooKoo against men, he struggled at the start but strung together some good performances and carried that solid play into the AHL where he was a PPG player. I think his offense gets overlooked a bit by some scouts and his two-way play gets talked about most. He's a great skater, has good edge work, and anticipates the play well without the puck.

Potential: Middle 6 two-way forward / Acquired: 68th overall 2020 BRHL draft

9. John Beecher C/LW 6'3" 209 lbs - University of Michigan Wolverines (NCAA)

The big power forward struggled last season, he tested positive for Covid prior to the WJC and was held off the team with his roommate and fellow Sabres prospect Bordeleau. Beecher still has a lot of traits you look for in a power forward, he shields the puck well, is a beast to handle down low, and is an immovable object in front of the oppositions net. His shot is heavy and he sees the ice well, but he'll need to stop being a passenger to all the talent in Michigan if he doesn't want to lose ice-time to the kids coming up.

Potential: Middle 6 power forward / Acquired: 39th overall 2020 BRHL draft

10. Kole Lind RW 6'1" 179 lbs - Vancouver Canucks (NHL)

Lind started the year on fire for Utica posting 5 goals and 8 points in 8 games before getting called up to Vancouvers taxi squad. Vancouver used him very sparingly last year after his call-up, he really wasn't put in the best place to succeed. Desipte that, he did show he's come a long way from his abysmal rookie season in the AHL. Kole was kind of a switch blade in juniors, able to play all forward positions and relied on in various roles at times. His best asset is his shot but he'll need to add weight in order to get more mustard behind it. Perhaps the move to Seattle will revive him a bit.

Potential: Bottom 6 two-way forward / Acquired: 38th overall 2018 BRHL draft

Honourable Mentions:

Hunter Jones - Top G prospect in the pool

Graeme Clark - Offensive forward, injury concerns

Mattias Norlinder - Looked really good in SHL, signed ELC and will be loaned back to SHL

Alexander Khovanov - Not to be lost in the shuffle, still has top 6 upside.