Sabres take a look at Varone

The Buffalo Sabres have invited former OHL standout Phil Varone to participate in this week's summer development camp. A heady player with excellent hands and vision, the 20-year old Varone is in the job market after not being offered a contract by the San Jose Sharks, who had previously selected him in the fifth round of the 2009 draft.

Varone, a 5'10, 180-pound center, scored 34 goals and 82 points (t21st in OHL) this past season with Erie before leading the club with three goals and 10 assists in the Otters' first round loss to the Windsor Spitfires. The spralkling post-season performance came two years removed from his initial playoff revelation when he potted 10 goals and 19 points in 14 games for a loaded London Knights club that included John Tavares, Nazem Kadri, John Carlson, and Michael Del Zotto.

After mid-season shoulder surgery limited his 2009-10 campaign to just 31 games (9+22), London shipped the overage Varone to Erie last October for a pair of draft picks. His productive tenure with the Otters kept him on the pro radar, but it seems that his below-average size and perhaps injury concerns made the Sharks apprehensive about using a contract on the talented center. Varone re-entered the 2011 draft but was not picked.

Varone, the Otters 2010-11 MVP, has the key components for an organizational depth role. He is an excellent leader, a good distributor, and a clutch shooter. He's not ultra aggressive but he's tough, and has a history of elevating the play of his linemates.

The Sabres could use an offensive spark on the farm after trading Paul Byron to Calgary so perhaps they see Varone as hard-working creator that can step right in while awaiting the development of their current CHL crop. Two of last year's AHL centers, Matt Ellis and Brian Roloff, are currently free agents while a third, Travis Turnbull, was recently tendered a qualifying offer to continue his work in Rochester for the 2011-12 season.

Buffalo Sabres 2011 NHL Draft Recap

The Buffalo Sabres completed their mission on Saturday, finishing the draft with six new faces while saying goodbye to two others, Paul Byron and Chris Butler, in the trade to acquire veteran blueliner Robyn Regehr. This is a prospects site, so I'm willing to bet that's the last mention of Robyn Regehr until the parade...

The draft preview suggested that the Sabres would gather four forwards, one goalie, and one defenseman, which is exactly what the Sabres walked away with.

The preview also mentioned a need for scoring forwards, and the Sabres didn't disappoint by choosing the pure offensive talents of Joel Armia and Daniel Catenacci with their first two picks, then later adding the raw power-forward potential of Colin Jacobs and prolific high school stick of Brad Navin.

Local product Alex Lepkowski, a tough, stay-at-home blueliner from Barrie of the OHL, and WHL playoff MVP Nathan Lieuwen, a athletic goaltending project, round out an impressive class that is sure to have an impact on the next SabresProspects rankings.

The updated post-draft depth chart:

Final draft thoughts:

Darcy Regier hadn't drafted a Finnish player since his first ever selection as Sabres GM back in 1997 (Mika Noronen).

I'm still stunned that the guy I wanted at #16, Mark Scheifele, was selected ahead of forecast at the #7 spot, and selected ahead of a guy who has all the tools to make the jump to the NHL next season, Sean Couturier.

The first-round race between the Saint John Sea Dogs and the country of Sweden goes to the Tre Kronor by a 4-3 margin. We're not counting Swedish CHL bookends Gabriel Landeskog (2nd overall) and Rickard Rackell (30th) on the scoreboard.

Does anyone have any idea how excited I am at the prospects of having two 2nd round picks to play with in next year's draft? It has been three years since the Sabres have had an early day two pick, and the last one was used rather well (Luke Adam). Of course, that can all change when the Sabres package, among other things, next year's #1 and their pair of #2's for a top-flight center...

The Ottawa Senators had perhaps the best draft of all 30 teams, and it certainly helped to have had three first-round selections. After getting Mika Zibanejad, Stefan Noesen, and Matt Puempel on day one and then closing the second round with the speedy Shane Prince, the Sens added high-flying Russian Nikita Filatov (drafted 2008), which is a pick-up similar to drafting an unsigned player.

Sabres trend: For the third straight year, the Sabres used their final pick to draft a player passed over in previous drafts (Legault, Boychuk, Navin).

League trend: The "Every Other Year Theory" once again held true. There were no goaltenders taken in the first round of the 2007 and 2009 drafts, and it was of little surprise that none would go until round two of the 2011 process. A total of 19 were selected, with just one standing less than six-feet tall. The 2012 draft pool is top-heavy with defensemen but I'm willing to bet we see at least two goalies go in the Friday portion a year from now.

Do the New York Rangers read this space? After watching them take two guys I coveted in 2009 with their first two picks (Chris Kreider and Ethan Werek), the blue shirts took no fewer than four players mentioned in the 2011 draft preview - J.T. Miller, Steven Fogarty, Michael St. Croix, and Shane McColgan - with their first four picks. Check's in the mail?

I previously mentioned how the Sabres have never taken a player from the BCHL. This year, the NCAA feeder league had just two players drafted.

Finally, in addition to Robby Mignardi who I've already opined on, here are the top-10 players (plus a goalie) I'd like to see the Sabres invite to their Summer Development Camp:

Barclay Goodrow, LW, Brampton (OHL)
Samuel Henley, LW, Lewiston (QMJHL)
Brent Benson, C, Saskatoon (WHL)
Mike Perreira, LW, University of Massachusetts (HE)
Seth Griffith, C, London (OHL)
Aidan Kelly, C, Saint John (QMJHL)
Michael Curtis, LW, Belleville (OHL)
Max LeSieur, RW, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
Chris Bradley, D, Youngstown (USHL)
Michael King, D, Westside (BCHL)
Jared Coreau, G, Northern Michigan (CCHA)

Honorable mention to the diminutive "Wrucking Ball", 5'8 Dylan Wruck of the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings.

Sabres close draft by selecting Brad Navin at #197

The Buffalo Sabres closed the 2011 draft by taking a flyer on productive forward, Brad Navin. A 6'2, 183-pound center from the Waupauca High School Comets, graduating class of 200, Navin brutalized the Wisconsin scholastic ranks this past season, posting 29 goals and 52 points in an injury-shortened 14 games. Per Bluechip Bulletin, he was the only player this year to register zero no-point games and the only only to post two or more in every outing.

And for the second straight year the Sabres take a high-scoring, high school player in the seventh round that was ranked in the 160's by Central Scouting. Navin was ranked #163. St. Thomas' Christian Isackson was rated 166th a year ago.

Wisconsin high school is a far reach from being a superior level of competition, but Navin's skating, shooting, and all-around offensive package made him an easy scholarship target for a few division I programs including the one he settled on - his home state Wisconsin Badgers. He will be the first Sabres prospect to develop in Madison since Doug MacDonald, a fourth-round pick in 1989.

Unlike Isackson and many WCHA commits though, the 19-year old Navin is not expected to play a developmental year in the USHL, but will instead make the difficult leap directly into the collegiate ranks. Navin, who also starred as a quarterback on the football field, has already begun molding his power forward college game, enrolling for summer classes and training with his new teammates.

Navin represents long range offensive potential that teams often look for late. Way to close the draft on a high note.

Nathan Lieuwen off to Buffalo at #167

Finally, an easy one.Back in March, I mentioned the possibility of the Sabres considering Nathan Lieuwen in the late rounds.

Sure enough, the 6'5 netminder was available in round six and the Sabres astutely scooped him up. From the 2011 Draft Preview:

"An athletic 6'5 netminder, Lieuwen was once a highly rated draft prospect that saw his stock fall due to a concussion in his draft year. It took some time to regain his consistency, but he evolved into a reliable force in his third draft eligible season. After posting 33 wins and a 2.79 goals against average behind a Brayden McNabb-led defense, the refreshed 19-year old earned WHL playoff MVP honors by backstopping the ICE to their third Memorial Cup appearance.

Lieuwen is still somewhat of a raw goaltending prospect. His lateral movement needs work and he seems to have an issue catching the puck. I'm not sure how far he can take his game, but the huge stopper could theoretically be your stopgap #2 in the AHL next season. Think of him late as a "let's see if he develops" type of pick if other options have been exhausted."

Local product Alex Lepkowski goes to Sabres at #137

The Sabres continued to add more local flare by adding West Seneca native Alex Lepkowski of the OHL's Barrie Colts in the 5th round of the 2011 draft. Standing 6'4, 212 pounds, Lepkowski is a hard working, stay-at-home presence who moves well for a big man. He's carved out a reputation as a blue collar kid who coaches rave about.

A former standout at St. Francis High School where ties exist to Sabres amateur scout Nik Fattey, Lepkowski represents a very intriguing platform for the Sabres to build upon. Despite not scoring a goal in his first two junior seasons, the imposing rearguard possesses some excellent puck skills that should continue to be leveraged with more experience and better decision making.

It's more than just the puck skills and size that make him worth a fifth-round look. Lepkowski has some leadership in his system as well. He's engaged 11 OHL combatants over his first two seasons while steadily developing into a dependable guy in his own end. It was the blend that allowed the Colts to trade captain and fan favorite Dalton Prout to Saginaw in exchange for his services midway through the 2010-11 campaign.

Buffalo takes Colin Jacobs at #107

The Sabres have selected Colin Jacobs of the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds with the 107th pick of the 2011 NHL draft. The 6'2, 204-pound right-handed center was the fifth leading scorer for the T-Birds in 2010-11, cashing 22 goals and 44 points with 69 PIM and a -20 rating.

A product of the up-and-coming Dallas Ice Jets junior program, Jacobs is a big, raw talent who works hard and will go to the high-traffic areas of the ice to get results. Tough on the boards, his package of size and shooting was a very attractive package in the fourth round to a Sabres club needing pivots in the prospect ranks.

Jacobs employs a physical brand, will definitely crash and bang, and is not afraid to drop the mitts, as evidenced by his four scraps as a rookie in 2009-10 and another in his draft year.

It's hard to classify Jacobs as a a natural offensive mind, but his willingness to use his frame makes him a potential power piece down the middle. Again, nice value for the Sabres at this spot in the draft.

The Sabres select Daniel Catenacci at #77

After losing Paul Byron's speed and hands thanks to the Robyn Regehr trade, the Sabres essentially replaced his skill set with their third round pick, Daniel Catenacci of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

A 5'10 center, Catenacci was the first overall pick in the 2009 OHL Draft after scoring 42 goals and 87 points in 39 games with the York Simcoe Express. Catenacci learned the ropes as a rookie in 2009-10 before breaking out with 26 goals and 71 points for the Western Conferences cellar dweller Greyhounds this past season. The Richmond Hill, Ontario native rounded out his line with 117 PIM and a -5 rating.

The left-handed pivot is one of the fastest skaters in the draft. He has excellent acceleration and can stop and turn on a dime. In fact, his wheels were on display at the CHL Top Prospects Game, where he won the fastest skater competition and also used his seapartion skills to pot a shorthanded goal. The key with Catenacci though, and something that doesn't make him a Milan Bartovic (a former Sabres 2nd round pick known for his speed), is that he has the finish and vision to bring out the best of his feet. He's a natural center with a quick release. There's not much more you can ask for in the third round of the draft.

Buffalo Sabres 2011 Draft Live Chat, Day 2

Sabres select Joel Armia at #16

No better way to promote the NHL Premier in Helsinki than taking a big Finnish forward who can pot the puck.

The Buffalo Sabres have selected Assat RW Joel Armia with the 16th pick of the 2011 NHL draft. A pure scorer, the 6'3, 191-pound Armia scored 18 goals and 29 points as a 17-year old this past season with Assat of the Finnish Elite League.

Armia is a great skater with an amazing set of hands and excellent creativity. A player who could've gone anywhere from 10-20, his combination of size and offense are a most welcome addition to the Sabres prospect ranks. Sniper city.

You could see the tools in place when he skated on HSBC Arena ice this past winter with Finland's entry at the World Junior Championship. The big wing didn't have the best tournament statistically (just one assist in six games), but continued to build as his year with Assat progressed. Armia returned to international play at the U18 World Championship, faring much better with four goals and 13 points to keep himself in the thick of first-round conversations.











And one for all the club-goers out there.



We said we wanted skill at forward, and the Sabres certainly delivered with a compelling package. (And they went to Europe for the first time in five years to do it.) With two years left on his contract with Assat, Armia will need to keep adding strength to his long frame while maturing his two-way awareness.

Let's not fool ourselves though. Armia is here to score goals, and this was an excellent pick by the Sabres at #16. As a matter of fact, Armia's skill level will land him VERY HIGH on the next SabresProspects rankings list.

For more info, check out Chris Ralph's profile on the young Finnish sniper.

2011 NHL Draft - First round Live Blog

7:15 - Ok, folks. Here we go. Ongoing blog tonight with a full scale live chat beginning bright and early in the morning...

The 2011 Draft is about to begin, and although the Sabres aren't up until #16, there is still a chance they make some noise. The Robyn Regehr mystery has yet to be solved despite reports that claim he is not going to waive his no movement clause to come to Buffalo. We'll see what shakes out on that front.

Edmonton, you're on the clock.

**

7:20 - A great tribute to the late E.J. McGuire, the long time Director of NHL Central Scouting. The McGuire family takes the stage to begin the draft, and I must admit, it's odd hearing cheers with Gary Bettman on a podium.

7:22 - Oilers select Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from the Red Deer Rebels. No huge surprise here. Excellent scoring center, getting stronger, and better. Add him to Hall, Eberle, Paajarvi, etc. Look out.

7:25 - I'm thinking three more picks before the fun really begins.

7:30 - Swedish wing Gabriel Landeskog goes to Colorado at #2. Big, offensive, can hit and grind. I think we're going to a need a live chat....