The Buffalo Sabres have a wealth of prospects as they approach the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on June 28 and 29. According to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, the Sabres will not be signing three of these prospects by the June 1 deadline.
Mats Lindgren
Lindgren, a defenseman from Vancouver, was picked in the fourth round of the 2022 Entry Draft, initially viewed as a promising steal. However, his performance in the Western Hockey League hasn’t improved since his career-high of 44 points in 68 games during the 2021-22 season. His points decreased to 34 in the 2022-23 season and slightly increased to 41 in the 2023-24 season. Consequently, Lindgren will re-enter this year’s draft.
Albert Lyckasen
Selected 193rd overall in 2020, Lyckasen, a right-shot defenseman, has also struggled with consistency. In the 2021-22 season, he achieved a career-high of 19 points in 51 games in Sweden’s professional league, but his production fell to nine points in 39 games the next season and 14 points in 36 games with BIK Karlskoga in 2023-24.
Jakub Konecny
Konecny, picked 216th overall in 2020, is another forward prospect who has faced challenges. Despite the Sabres’ deep pool of forward prospects, Konecny has managed only 30 points in 121 games over three seasons with Sparta Praha in the Czech Extraliga.
In the NHL Entry Draft, where each team has seven rounds to pick players, it’s unrealistic to expect every selection to succeed. With a maximum of 50 contracts, it’s tough for teams to sign all their prospects. This is the case with Lindgren, Lyckasen, and Konecny. Although the Sabres’ decision not to sign them is due to their lack of production, it doesn’t eliminate their chances elsewhere in North America.
Lindgren, who was anticipated to be drafted late in the second or third round, might still attract attention from another NHL team and receive an invite to their rookie camp. It would be intriguing to see another Mats Lindgren in the NHL, following the career of his namesake who played from 1993 to 2003. Lyckasen and Konecny, being seventh-round picks, face tougher odds, but they might find opportunities as depth players in American Hockey League teams.
