Video: Sabres 2022 Pre-Draft Press Conference
The Sabres own three picks in the first round: their own at ninth overall, one from Vegas at 16th overall, and another from Florida at 28th.
Buffalo uses data compiled from live and video viewings by scouts, analytics, interviews, and the NHL Scouting Combine to create the list it will follow on draft night.
The spread-out nature of the Sabres' first-round picks - one in each third of the first round - means that virtually any player listed in their top 30 could be in play depending on how the dominos fall.
Forton expects there to be a consensus top six or seven players among NHL teams.
"But I do think there's a group right after that there's a chance you're getting just as good a player at nine as you're getting at four or five," he added.
"So, we're really excited about a group of players in that range. If you even get higher in the draft, that's a great thing to do from my perspective. It takes some of the risk out of it, I guess. But I think it's pretty deep right down to 20, 25, 30 on our list. I think it's a really good list."
The opportunity for deals always exists when 32 general managers convene in one building. The fact that the Sabres have 11 picks makes for several possibilities.
Sam Ventura, the Sabres' vice president of hockey strategy and research, works with his analytics staff to prepare a formula assessing the trade value of each pick in the draft. This chart serves as a compass for Adams to follow when deciding whether to trade up or down at a given moment.
"What's exciting for us going into a draft with having the capital we do, having conversations with the teams ahead of us, what are they looking to do, having conversations with the teams behind us," Adams said. "We've been doing that. We're open to both."
The IIHF suspended Russian and Belarusian players from its international tournaments in response to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. More recently, Russian-based players were not invited to the NHL Scouting Combine in May.
These realities - along with uncertainty surrounding the future - will present a challenge to NHL teams when it comes to evaluating and drafting Russian and Belarusian prospects. That includes two players widely regarded as first-round talents in forwards Danila Yurov and Ivan Miroshnichenko.
Forton said the Sabres do feel they have a comfortable assessment of Russian prospects, having a Russian-based scout in Ruslan Pechonkin and other members of the scouting department - Forton included - having made trips to watch those players in person.
The Sabres have evaluated those prospects first on their merits as players and will adjust their ranking from there based on extenuating risks.
"In terms of how we kind of move forward on that, we'll see," Adams said. "What we will be open to is, if we get to a spot in the draft where we feel that there's real value there, then we're going to talk about that. So, we're open to that."
