Could the Sabres bring in this promising blueliner at the draft?
The Athletic's Corey Pronman, Scott Wheeler, and Max Bultman released their latest 2026 NHL Mock Draft. The Buffalo Sabres were among the teams featured on it, as they still have their first-round pick for this year's draft.
In the mock draft, Wheeler predicted that the Sabres would select defenseman Xavier Villeneuve in the first round.
If the Sabres selected Villeneuve at this year's draft, they would be bringing in a skilled offensive defenseman who has plenty of potential. The 5-foot-11 defenseman had a strong season in the QMJHL with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, where he posted six goals and 38 points in 37 games. This is after he had 12 goals and 62 points in 61 games for the QMJHL club during the 2024-25 season.
With Villeneuve being a skilled blueliner, it would makes sense if the Sabres took a chance on him in the first round. The potential for him to become an impactful top-four defenseman and power-play specialist in the NHL later down the road is there.
It will now be interesting to see if the Sabres end up selecting Villeneuve with their first round pick this year from here.