7 to 11 | Potential defensive options for the Sabers in the 1st round

The breadth of defensive talent in the top half of the first round is one of the biggest storylines in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Macklin Celebrini, a forward, is expected to be selected by San Jose with the No. 1 pick. After Celebrini, Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov is the most popular choice among media analysts selected by Chicago with the second pick.

But even beyond Levshunov, no fewer than seven other defenders have been brought up in top 15 conversations, including a group of five – Anton Silayev, Carter Yakemchuk, Sam Dickinson, Zayne Parekh and Zeev Buium – who have been mocked by many experts. in the top 10.

That said, there are some talented options up front as well, meaning one of these defensemen could end up being available when the Sabers are selected 11th overall.

We’ve already looked at seven attackers who could be available to the Sabers in the first round. Today, once again with analysis from FloHockey’s Chris Peters and NHL.com’s Mike Morreale, we look at seven potential defense options with the No. 11 pick.

Find the complete ranking of Peters’ 100 best here and listen to his comments on “Talking common sense in hockey” podcast.

Morreale’s latest draft can be found here in its entirety. You can listen to NHL.com Associate Editor Morreale and Adam Kimelman break down the draft on their “NHL Draft Class” Podcast.

Adam Jiricek – RHD, Plzen (Czech Republic)

6 feet 2 inches, 182 pounds

Statistics 2023-24: 19 GP – 0 G – 1 A – 1 P

The Sabres’ current defensive corps includes three young players on long-term contracts (Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson) as well as a fourth acquired last season in Bowen Byram.

Jiricek checks several boxes that could make him a complementary piece in this larger picture. He’s a right shot – Byram, Dahlin, Power and Samuelsson are all left shots – while his 6-foot-2 frame is a tool he uses to his advantage defensively.

After a season that ended in December due to a knee injury, Jiricek was ranked in various rankings. Peters places him 16th on his overall list; Morreale has it eighth among defenders (behind Levshunov and the other six defensemen on this list).

NHL Central Scouting Services (NHL SCS), meanwhile, ranks Jiricek fourth among international skaters, offering the following description: “A two-way player who likes to join the race. Always at his best in the defensive zone, where he is an effective controller who stays with his man. Excellent competitor who works hard every shift. His game remains simple and effective. Has all the tools needed to become a star.

What he says :

Adam’s older brother, David, is also a right-handed defenseman who was drafted by Columbus with the sixth overall pick in 2022. At just 20 years old, David has already appeared in 47 career NHL games and helped to run their AHL affiliate in Cleveland. in the league’s Eastern Conference finals this month.

At the NHL scouting huddle in Buffalo, Adam was asked to compare his game to David’s.

“I always say he has a better shot and I have a better skating,” Adam said. “…He’s more offensive and I defend more in both directions.”

Anton Silayev – LHD, Torpedo (KHL)

6 feet 7 inches, 211 pounds

Statistics 2023-24: 63 GP – 3 G – 8 A – 11 P

This may be the biggest move on this list, as Silayev – thanks to his 6-foot-7 frame, skating, and professional experience in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) – is usually projected in simulations media draft to be selected in the top five, or even top three.

The only small wild card with Silayev is his contract with the KHL, which would last until 2025-2026.

“I mean, there’s always a chance that even an Anton Silayev might slip up, either because of concerns about the Russian factor or something else,” Peters said. “The fascinating thing is that this D class is about as good as you could hope for at the top of the draft.”

Silayev’s 11 points were the most ever recorded by a player under the age of 18 in the KHL. NHL CSS describes him as a “trick on ice with excellent physical presence.”

Carter Yakemchuk – RHD, Calgary (WHL)

6 feet 3 inches, 201 pounds

Statistics 2023-24: 66 GP – 30 G – 41 A – 71 P

Yakemchuk is a popular Buffalo selection in media mock drafts. Like Jiricek, he is an imposing right-handed defender. But Yakemchuk is also coming off a prolific offensive season that saw him lead Western Hockey League (WHL) defensemen with 30 goals.

“Yakemchuk is really fascinating,” Peters said. “He’s a dynamic offensive talent. He’s got size, he’s got some skating ability. He needs to get stronger and he needs to make better decisions with the puck sometimes, he needs to improve defensively. But he has the will and he has jam to offer. So you have the size and the skill factor and the fact that he’s a good shooter, and that’s more interesting.

Morreale added: “He’s a big, mobile guy, he’s active along the blue line, very strong on his skates. He is confident and really enjoys moving the puck up the ice. He can beat defenders one-on-one as a defender with his speed and he also has some issues in his game.”

Adam Kimelman of NHL.com is among those who have mocked Yakemchuk to the Sabres, citing his potential to one day fit in with the organization’s current stable of young defensemen.

What he says :

Yakemchuk was asked who he models his game after in the NHL.

“I like Evan Bouchard on the Oilers,” he said. “Just the way he plays in the offensive zone, his creativity and his shooting.”

Sam Dickinson – LHD, London (OHL)

6 feet 2 inches, 199 pounds

Statistics 2023-24: 68 GP – 18 G – 52 A – 70 P