With the 205th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and likely their last pick, the Buffalo Sabres selected German defenseman Norwin Panocha.
Panocha, who turned 18 in February, hails from Bayreuth, Germany. He’s a left-handed defender who was ranked 203rd by McKeen’s Hockey and 114th among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Panocha spent most of last season with Eisbären’s juniors (U20) team, where he had 22 points and 12 penalty minutes in 34 regular-season games. He also had five points and six penalty minutes in eight playoff games.
Panocha also skated in three games with Eisbären in the DEL, and was loaned to Lausitzer Füchse for five games. He also represented Germany at the U18 level, including at the U18 World Championships, where he had three points and two penalty minutes in six games.
He also appeared in four games for Germany’s U18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Panocha is expected to play for Eisbären Berlin in the DEL this coming fall.