Takeaways from the 2022 NHL Scouting Combine

The NHL Scouting Combine returned to Buffalo this week after a two-year hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ninety-six of the top prospects eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft convened at KeyBank Center for five days of interviews with 32 teams. The week culminated with fitness testing at LECOM Harborcenter on Saturday, after which players met with the media.
The Sabres hold three picks (9th, 16th, and 28th overall) in the first round of the draft, which will be held July 7 at Bell Centre in Montreal. We'll examine some of the names who could be available for Buffalo over the next month here on Sabres.com.
In the meantime, here are some initial takeaways from the combine.

Gym class heroes

The fitness portion of the combine includes 12 stations designed to measure strength, athleticism, and endurance. The most famous are the VO2max and Wingate tests, two resistance-based bike tests that require a vomit bucket in close proximity. (The bike tests are so exhausting, they are conducted on separate days.)
Below are some of the standouts:
• Forward Brennan Ali, who is committed to the University of Notre Dame next season, tied for the best score in the VO2 max (with Finnish forward Toppi Ronni) and placed second in mean power output on the Wingate.
• Northeastern defenseman Michael Fisher placed the top times in the pro agility tests (5-10-5-yard shuttles going in both directions)
• Swedish defenseman Calle Odelius had the top fatigue index and peak power output in the Wingate.
• Northeastern forward Jack Hughes ranked first in pullups (19), third on the pro agility test going left, and sixth on the bench press.

Wild things

Odd questions asked by NHL teams are a staple of the combine. This year, one question popped up time and time again: What animal would you be? (The askers, according to prospect Marek Hejduk, were the Montreal Canadiens.)
Rutger McGroarty, a forward who captained the U.S. National Team Development Program and has been mocked to the Sabres at 16th overall, had the most well thought answer.
"I said that I was a father gorilla off the ice because I lead by example but also can hang out with the family," McGroarty relayed to reporters. "And then I said I was an African hunting dog on the ice."
Why an African hunting dog?
"Just because I feel like I'm a little hunting dog out there," he said. "Just go after it, forecheck hard, backcheck."
Others who showed their wild side: Jiri Kulich (lion), Frank Nazar (cheetah), and Cutter Gauthier (shark).

Son of a Sabre

USNTDP winger Jimmy Snuggerud, the son of former Sabres forward Dave Snuggerud, was among the prospects on hand this week. Dave played 215 games for the Sabres from 1989 to 1992.
Jimmy is the 11th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting Services and a likely first-round selection. He had 89 points in 85 games this past season. His teammates described him as a highly skilled forward with a knack for playmaking
"He's wild and crazy but it always works out," Nazar said. "He's got such a great shot. He's so sneaky and deceptive. I think moving forward he's going to be a really good player."
Added McGroarty: "I feel like he's a super slippery player. He's super skilled."
Snuggerud said he interviewed with the Sabres, a contingency that included owner Terry Pegula.
"It's cool to meet the owner of a team," he said.

Sabres connections

Defenseman Lian Bichsel, who has been mocked to the Sabres at 16th overall, was teammates with Sabres prospect Isak Rosen with Leksands IF of the SHL.
Rosen, the 14th-overall pick last summer, signed his entry-level deal last week.
"Great person," Bichsel said of Rosen. "He was just nice to me. Like, when I was coming to Leksand, he was one of the first to come to me and say hi. And as a player, he's extremely fast. Good shot. He competes, he does everything for the team. Yeah, great player."
Bichsel also cited Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin among the NHL players he tries to model his game after.
"He's extremely calm, like he knows what he wants to do," Bichsel said.
Northeastern University forward Jack Hughes spent this season playing alongside Sabres prospect Devon Levi, who received the Mike Richter Award as the nation's top goaltender. Hughes and Levi are currently rooming together during summer school.
"Just the time he puts in at the rink, I've really never seen anything like it," Hughes said of Levi. "… We have early morning lift at 7 a.m. and I think he takes classes until about 3, 3:30. He'll stop by the room around 4 o'clock and then I won't see him the rest of the night. Like, I'll be in bed before he gets back from the rink some nights."