Buffalo has held the top pick of the draft twice in franchise history, which they used to select Gilbert Perreault in 1970 and Pierre Turgeon in 1987. The Sabres held the best odds to win the lottery in both 2014 and 2015, but came away with the No. 2 pick on both occasions.
Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is widely considered the best prospect in this year's draft. Dahlin recorded 20 points (7+13) at age 18 in 41 games for Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League. He also tallied six assists and was named the best defenseman at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo.
Dan Marr, the NHL's Director of Central Scouting, described the 6-foot-2-inch, 181-pound defenseman as having "the skating, skills and elite hockey sense that can dictate the style of play and pace of a game with or without the puck."
"Dahlin is an exceptionally talented prospect who will be able to contribute, influence and impact a team's fortunes much in the way that defensemen Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators) and Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning) have in the NHL," Marr said.
In addition to Dahlin, NHL Central Scouting lists defenseman Adam Boqvist, forwards Vitali Kravtsov and Martin Kaut, and defenseman Adam Ginning as the top five European-based skaters, respectively.
Central Scouting lists forward Andrei Svechnikov as the top North American-based skate, followed by forwards Brady Tkachuk and Filip Zadina and defensemen Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson.
