Draft Preview | Potential options with the 28th-overall pick

It's time for one last list of prospects.
We sorted through nine names who could be available for the Sabres at ninth overall. We added nine more names who could be potential options with their second pick at 16th overall.
Today, we examine possible options for the Sabres with their third and final pick in the first round in the 2022 NHL Draft - 28th overall, acquired from the Florida Panthers last summer in exchange for Sam Reinhart.
Peruse any mock draft and you will know that this is an inexact science. One source may list a player in the top 20; another may list that same player outside the first round altogether.
With that being said, here are nine players who could be available for the 28th pick with insights from national draft analysts.

Seamus Casey - RHD, USA U-18 (NTDP)

Casey, a right-shot defenseman, slots in at 29th on NHL Central Scouting Services' list of draft-eligible North American skaters. He had 33 points (10+23) in 48 games this season.
He is listed at 5-foot-10, 173 pounds but makes up for what he lacks in size with mobility and hockey sense. The Athletic's Scott Wheeler lists him at 27th in his top-100 rankings.
"He's as smooth with the puck as just about anyone in the draft and just plays a very heady, intelligent (game)," Wheeler said. "Kind of that modern NHL defenseman that we're seeing more and more of who can really move the puck up ice so effortlessly and spend so much time playing on offense that defense doesn't have to be as important as it once was."
Casey is committed to the University of Michigan.

Ryan Chesley - RHD, USA U-18 (NTDP)

Chesley was Casey's teammate at the NTDP, where he tallied 29 points (12+17) in 59 contests. He is a 6-foot, right-shot defenseman who is touted for his powerful shot.
TSN director of scouting Craig Button likens Chesley to Los Angeles Kings prospect Brock Faber, a second-round pick in 2020.
"I think it's more of that two-way defenseman type," Button said. "Again, competitive, but he's really learned how to be a well-rounded defenseman."

Jagger Firkus - RW, Moose Jaw (WHL)

Firkus was a big-time riser in the NHL CSS rankings, jumping from 33rd among North American skaters at midterm to 12th on the final list. He had 80 points (36+44) in 66 games, earning a spot on the WHL's Second All-Star Team.
While most analysts have Firkus ranked toward the back end of the first round - a product of his size, at 5-foot-10 - Button sees value in taking him as high as 16th, likening his blend of skill and competitiveness to Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie.
"He's got a confidence and a swagger on the ice where he goes about his business," Button said. "You want to underestimate Jagger, do so at your peril. Just do it at your peril, OK? He can score, he can make plays, and … you see the physical maturity come, and now he's able to do more."

Nathan Gaucher - C, Quebec (QMJHL)

Gaucher is a 6-foot-3 centerman who ranks 16th among North American skaters according to NHL CSS. He had 57 points (31+26) in 66 games this season, including a QMJHL-leading five shorthanded goals.
Button compares Gaucher to former NHL forward David Backes - a physical, dependable player down the middle who can also contribute on offense.
"You just think about the game, and you think about different situations where players can grind down the opponent," Button said. "It just becomes like a hard night playing against a player like David Backes. It was hard. And it didn't matter, killing penalties, on the boards, on the cycle, off the faceoff."

David Goyette - C, Sudbury (OHL)

Goyette led OHL rookies in goals (33) and points (73) this season. He is similar to Firkus both in height (5-foot-10) and in the way his draft stock shot up this season. He went from 35th in the midterm rankings to 13th on NHL CSS' final list.
Wheeler is among the analysts who are bullish on Goyette's potential, referring to him as a dangerous player with the puck on his stick.
"One of the best skaters in the draft, one of the fastest players in the draft, and makes plays at that speed," Wheeler said.

Lane Hutson - LHD, USA U-18 (NTDP)

Hutson, the third NTDP defenseman on this list, is one of the more intriguing names in the draft. He spent this season on the left side of his team's top defense pair alongside Chesley and tallied 63 points (10+53) in 60 games - tops among NTDP defensemen.
The question teams considering Hutson will have to weigh is how a player his size will translate to the NHL. He is listed at 5-foot-8, 158 pounds, smaller than preeminent "small" defensemen such as Jared Spurgeon (5-foot-9, 166 pounds) and Torey Krug (5-foot-9, 194 pounds).
Wheeler, who ranks Hutson 19th on his overall list, believes the defenseman's tools will be enough to overcome the lack of size.
"If he makes it, he's going to be singular," Wheeler said. "He's going to be a unicorn. He's going to be one of one in the NHL. And that does scare teams, making that kind of a bet. But I believe he's special and he has the tools - the skating, the maneuverability, the playmaking, the vision. He's one of the smartest players in the draft, he's one of the most creative players in the draft."

Tristan Luneau - RHD, Gatineau (QMJHL)

Luneau, a right-shot defenseman, is the 24th-ranked North American skater according to NHL CSS, one spot ahead of Hutson. He tallied 43 points (12+31) in 63 games this season after earning QMJHL Rookie of the Year honors in 2020-21.
The 6-foot-2, 189-pound blueliner possesses a hard shot and two-way ability. Button ranks him 33rd on his overall list, citing his poise in all situations.
"When he's out on the ice, coaches' heart rates go lower," Button said. "Their comfort level becomes greater. They're not fussed. They know everything is under control on the ice. That's the way Tristan plays. He plays in a manner that is really purposeful and really competitive."

Filip Mesar - RW, Poprad (Slovakia)

Mesar has spent the past two seasons playing professionally in his native Slovakia, tallying 16 points (8+8) in 37 games in 2021-22. He had eight points (2+6) in five games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning silver.
"A 5-foot-10 creator who can do a lot with the puck," Wheeler said. "… Just a really interesting, up-tempo, pass-shot combo player who you want playing at the top of your lineup if he hits."

Noah Warren - RHD, Gatineau (QMJHL)

Warren is one of the largest players in the draft at 6-foot-5, 224 pounds. He had 24 points (5+19) in 62 games this season, rising from 49th among North American skaters at midterm to 33rd in the final rankings from NHL CSS.
Warren may be more likely to be picked during the second round - Button lists him 38th overall - but his size makes him a unique possibility among players who could be available at 28th. Button likened him to physical Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak.
"He's massive, he's territorial, he's competitive, he's physical," Button said.