The 2023 NHL Draft ended on Thursday, June 29. While Blue and Gold fans wait to see what GM Kevyn Adams does with the free agency deadline looming July 1, let’s look at Buffalo’s top four picks in this year’s Draft.
1) Zach Benson
The Sabres drafted left winger Zach Benson of the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice with their first pick in Round 1 (No. 13 overall). The forward had an impressive season in 2022-23, with 36 goals, 62 assists and 98 points in just 60 games. Despite his skill, some posters on Die By the Blade’s NHL Draft Round 1 Thread, mocked the 5-foot 9-inch Benson’s height, comparing him to a munchkin from the “Wizard of Oz” or one of the seven dwarfs from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”.
Contrary to these commentators’ ridicule, sports pundits loved the choice. Sion Fawkes of SabreNoise praised the selection, writing that “the dominoes couldn’t have fallen any better”, while Christian Storms of Observer Today headlined his opinion piece on Benson with “It’s a heist”. Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now felt that the winger was “small risk, high reward” and even hoped the Pens would have a chance to draft him.
Zach Benson so impressed Matt Drake of DBTB’s fellow blog Eyes on the Prize that he questioned Montreal passing on him, asking if the Canadiens could really afford to let the elite playmaker go with the fifth overall pick. Time will tell of course, if it’s the Habs’ loss or Buffalo’s gain, but Benson’s stats and skill speak for themselves.
Why do these sports writers like Benson so much? His scoring ability, speed and talent are all major reasons why. Zach Benson previously played with Matt Savoie, another Buffalo prospect, so the chemistry between the two was a definite factor.
Here’s highlight of some of his best goals, including a couple of shorthanders:
As far as height goes, not every hockey player has to be a hulking giant to have a successful NHL career. Danny Briere is no taller than Benson and the former Sabres forward and co-captain enjoyed 307 goals, 389 assists and 696 total points. Nobody would call Briere a munchkin.
2) Anton Wahlberg
Buffalo chose Swedish center Anton Wahlberg as the 39th pick in Round 2 of the Draft. The forward did well in Sweden, playing in two leagues, the Sweden J20 SuperElit and Swedish Hockey League. Competing for his hometown of Malmo in both, Wahlberg had 16 goals, 15 assists and 31 combined total points this past season.
Fitting in with Kevyn Adams’ strategy of finding hockey players who want to be here, Wahlberg told reporters after his selection that, “To hear your name is so cool and I’m glad I got to Buffalo, too.”
The center dazzled Sabres talent scouts, who saw him net three goals and six points in seven games at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship, helping Sweden get a silver medal.
Adams told the media the team made two attempts to draft Wahlberg, trying to move up during Round 1 and eventually succeeding in Round 2. Wahlberg informed reporters that he’s a two-way forward and center, able to play the puck with speed and “be crafty on the ice”. While he still has a year left to play in Sweden, Wahlberg plans to put on a Sabres jersey again in the near future.
3) Maxim Strbak
After drafting two forwards, many fans wondered when the Sabres would pick a badly-needed defenseman. They finally did with their 45th overall pick, Slovak d-man Maxim Strbak. While other European prospects such as Wahlberg have yet to make the move to North America, Strbak’s already here, playing this past season with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede.
Strbak made five goals, 13 assists and 18 points in 46 games with the Stampede. Ryan Sikes of FloHockey wrote that the Slovak defenseman had the size and frame NHL scouts drool over and believed he’d be a hot commodity in the 2023 Draft. His USHL coach, Eric Rud, said Strbak is good at shutting down opponents in the Stampede’s zone and clearing the puck. He knows how to block shots and is excellent at penalty kills. The coach added that the defenseman’s work ethic and day-to-day are “elite”.
Maxim Strbak told reporters he’s more of a “shut down” defenseman, in contrast to players such as Dahlin and Power who often carry the puck into opponents’ zones. However, Buffalo needs defenseman who can choke off other teams’ scoring chances and Strbak is the type who could help in that area.
4) Gavin McCarthy
The Blue and Gold selected Clarence native and Junior Sabres defenseman Gavin McCarthy with the team’s 86th overall pick. McCarthy remembers making endless trips to HarborCenter to learn how to master his hockey abilities, then joined the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the UHL, where he played 42 games. At Muskegon, McCarthy netted 27 points, including eight goals and 19 assists.
He also dealt with some early adversity, suffering a broken kneecap during a practice at the World Junior A Challenge that sidelined him for almost two months. After rehabbing his kneecap. McCarthy returned to the ice and finished the season in top form. Adams liked the way the d-man handled the setback, saying “to come back and be able to get back and perform the way he did toward the end (of the season) it speaks to who he is as a person.”
McCarthy told the press he “couldn’t be more happy going back home”. Not many athletes get to play for their hometown team, but the Sabres prospect won’t suit up at KeyBank Center immediately. First he has a stint at Boston University, so competing in front of friends and family is still a few years away. Fans will have to bide their time and hope McCarthy can contribute to Buffalo’s success when he eventually does join the Sabres’ roster.
That’s a look at the Buffalo Sabres’ top four 2023 NHL Draft picks. What do you think?