THN Mock Draft: No. 13 pick

Who the Sabres ultimately select will depend on how the picks play out ahead of them.

With the No. 13 overall pick, the Buffalo Sabres select … Ryan Leonard, U.S. NTDP

Why pick him? It’s said that there are players who get you to the playoffs and those who get you through the playoffs. Leonard’s game can be considered among the latter. The 6-foot, 190-pound right wing combines skill and power along with competitiveness, grit, and a willingness to get to the hard areas. And while his style is made for the post-season, he plays the same game regardless of the time of year.

Leonard had 94 points (51 goals, 43 assists) in 57 games for U.S. National Team Development program in 2022-23 and added another 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in seven games at the Under-18 World Championship. Both totals put him third in each instance behind linemates Will Smith and Gabriel Perreault.

He’s said he patterns his game after Alex Tuch, among others, and like Tuch, Leonard is headed to Boston College.

Buffalo is always looking for the best player available and general manager Kevyn Adams has said time and again that his plan is to build the organization for sustainable success. With the Sabres’ window as a playoff contender on the verge of opening, having a player in the pipeline who is, in a sense, playoff-ready, could be what they opt for when they’re on the clock.

Who are the other options? Who’s available will depend on how things shake out leading up to the Sabres’ selection. Numerous names have been bandied about as potential options. If they choose to go with a forward, there’s 5-foot-11, 195-pound center Oliver Moore, a teammate of Leonard’s with the NTDP. Perhaps they opt for Matthew Wood, a forward with the University of Connecticut Huskies. His frame (6-foot-4, 197 pounds) and skill have likened him to Sabres center Tage Thompson, who is a UConn alumnus.

On defense, there’s Dmitriy Simashev, a 6-foot-4, 198-pound blueliner who could join a growing crop of Russian talent in Buffalo’s system, as well as smooth-skating, puck-mover Axel Sandin-Pellikka (5-foot-11, 180 pounds).

What else is on the agenda? The Sabres have seven other picks entering the draft, including two in the second round. Adams and his staff are balancing maintaining a stocked prospect pool while also keeping his eyes and ears open for any moves that could upgrade his roster.