The Buffalo Sabres Have the Most Overrated Scouting System in the NHL

The Buffalo Sabres are trying to take the next organizational step. They want to compete in the powerful Atlantic Division, but they are still missing a few pieces.

The Sabres believe they have those pieces in-house. Over the past few seasons, they’ve produced a slew of top draft picks and prospects, and are frequently ranked among the NHL’s top prospect systems.

Looking at their current group, this is arguably the most overrated group in the NHL. Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News, DobberProspects and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic are all highly rated by their system. Wheeler even ranked the Sabres first in his 2024 prospect rankings.

There is talent in the Sabres’ pool, that’s undeniable. Are they among the top five prospects in the league? Absolutely not. The reality is they are barely in the top 10.

Heading into the 2023-24 season, the Sabres had an elite group of prospects. They just drafted the most NHL-ready rookie in the group, adding forward Zach Benson. Top prospect Jiri Kulich was about to make his North American debut, goaltender Devon Levi was on the verge of becoming a star and Matthew Savoie was about to earn a roster spot.

In 2024, Matt Savoie is no longer part of the Sabres organization. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for forward Ryan McLeod. Many believe Savoie is ready for the NHL in 2024, and the Oilers will be the ones to give him that chance.

The Sabres deserve credit for developing several prospects well. Kulich and Devon Levi are still the best prospects in the NHL. Zach Benson has made his NHL debut as many had anticipated. He is only 19 years old, but he should be a mainstay in Buffalo for the next few seasons, so he no longer deserves the prospect moniker.

After that, the outlook is less encouraging. They have several players with NHL potential, but not with the potential of Savoie, Benson, Kulich or Levi.

Konsta Helenius was the team’s last first-round pick. The Finnish centerman is expected to make waves once he makes the NHL roster and the organization has a lot of confidence in his abilities.

Isak Rosen and Noah Ostlund are draft candidates this season, but they are projected as lower-end forwards at the NHL level.

Maxim Strbak is the team’s top defensive prospect. He had a great freshman season at Michigan State University. At the NHL level, he’ll likely be a bottom-pairing defenseman who makes his living killing penalties and blocking shots.

The Sabres have talent in their system, but looking at the ones on the way, it’s hard to pinpoint who will make a difference. They have room to improve, sure, but not the elite talent many believe they have. Benson has elite potential, but can he lead the Sabres to the playoffs? Can Devon Levi surpass Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as the starting goalie? Can Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich or Isak Rosen crack the top six?

Unfortunately for the Sabres, contenders don’t have as many unanswered questions. The potential, talent, and reasons for hope are endless in Buffalo, but that doesn’t change the fact that their prospect pool is the most overrated in the league.

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