The Sabers walk away with the 11th overall pick in the NHL draft lottery.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabers now know when they will pick in the first round of this year’s draft.

Buffalo walked away with the 11th overall pick in Tuesday’s NHL draft. The Sabres, who finished this season ranked 6th in the Atlantic Division, entered the lottery with a 3.0% chance of landing the first overall pick.

This is the 14th straight year the Sabers will have a top-16 pick in the first round, dating back to 2011. Last season, the Sabers selected 13th overall, ahead of forward Zach Benson who finished with 30 points in 71 games as a rookie in 2023-24.

The Sabers have been selected 11th overall in the NHL Draft five times, most recently in 2002 (Keith Ballard). Lee Fogolin (1974), Mike Ramsey (1979), Adam Creighton (1983) and David Cooper (1992) were also selected by Buffalo with the 11th overall pick.

– Sabers Public Relations (@SabresPR) May 7, 2024

The 2024 NHL Draft will take place in Las Vegas on June 28-29.