With the first pick in the fifth round, No. 121, the Buffalo Sabres have selected left winger Maxwell Willman from Williston-North Hampton high school in Massachusetts. He has committed to attend college at Brown University next year.
Willman, who was in the draft for the second time having gone undrafted last year, is a well-rounded wing prospect, according to Kris Baker. In addition to not being picked last year, he failed to get an NCAA scholarship. Fast forward twelve months and he’s a member of the Buffalo Sabres organization and will be attending Brown in the fall.
Our college hockey blog has a very detailed scouting report on Willman, which you should check out here. Some of the highlights are below.
“One thing he did was made the most of every opportunity along the way. Starting with summer showcases last summer, midget hockey in the fall and then with us during the prep season, he got better and better,” said Williston-North Hampton head coach Derek Cunha.
When it comes to Willman’s skill set, there isn’t really one area of his game that stands out, but he is a very versatile forward who can do a lot of things well.
“He can beat defensemen one-on-one, shoot and score from the perimeter or bowl his way towards the net,” said Cunha. “He really dictates the play. He forces the play and makes defensemen worried about him.”