The NHL draft proved to be very profitable for the Sabres. The farm system is deep, and they can afford not rushing the develop of Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons.
This work has started way before. In my opinion, the Sabres started the work for this draft when they traded for Cody Hodgson. For me, Hodgson is a top-six forward in any team in the NHL. Now that he'll have time to get acclimated with the city and his teammates, I can see him putting up 50 points per season as a second-line center.
The Sabres were handed a gem when Grigorenko was still available in the 12th spot. There was no real Nail-or-Mikhail debate. Yakupov has been dominating while there still are questions as to Mikhail's mindset. His bout with mononucleosis during the QMJHL's playoffs certainly played against him after having played through an injury in the World Juniors.
The are no questions about his skills. His hands are second to none in this draft and, if he ends up filling up his frame, Grigorenko will be competing with the top centers in the league. His drive, on the other hand, has been scrutinized to exhaustion.
If he doesn't follow the Ru ...
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Article written by Fernando Lima
NHL Draft 2012: Buffalo Sabres Win Big in 1st Round
June 23rd, 2012 by Fernando Lima Leave a reply »
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