With the 130th pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres have selected defenseman Vojtech Budik from the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL.
Born in the Czech Republic, Budik stands 6’1” and 194 lbs, and is ranked #80 overall by ISS. Here’s some of what our own SBN College Hockey blog had to say about him:
What I Like:
-Blazing straight line speed
Budik is a really quick skater that can get up and down the ice with ease. I like his first step to get moving, and once he’s got a head of speed, he’s really difficult to stop.
What I Don’t Like:
-Weak offensive instincts
I mentioned above that Budik’s ability to gain zone entry bodes well for working on the power play, but it’s hard for him to get power play time when he doesn’t produce offensively when given those opportunities. His vision and hockey sense is just average and he doesn’t move the puck well enough to generate consistent offense.
Pro Projection:
I think his natural athletic abilities give Budik a fairly high ceiling, though the concerns about hockey sense make it rather unlikely he ever reaches that ceiling. He projects as more of an offensive defenseman at the pro level, so he’ll have to start producing points more consistently. His strong skating could make him an effective pro for a long time as a second or third pairing defenseman.