After being one of the top teams in the NHL this season, the Buffalo Sabres have the 27th overall pick of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. While the Sabres have a late first-round pick this year, the potential for them to land an impactful prospect is certainly there. The Athletic's Scott Wheeler recently released his latest 2026 NHL mock draft [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7333541/2026/06/09/nhl-draft-mock-prospects-list-2026/] and predicted that the Sabres would select forward Gleb Pugachyov with their first-round pick this year. The first thing that immediately stands out about Pugachyov is his size. The 6-foot-3, 198-pound right winger would give the Sabres another power forward in their system, which is never a bad thing. This is especially so when noting that they have a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) power forward in Alex Tuch heading into the summer. If the Sabres selected Pugachyov with their first-round pick, he would certainly be an interesting addition to Buffalo's prospect pool. The big winger showed promise this season in Russia's MHL with Chaika Nizhny Novgorod, as he posted 10 goals and 24 points in 33 games. He also notably played in 13 KHL games with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod this season, where he had two goals and an assist. With Pugachyov being a promising young forward with size, it would make all the sense in the world for the Sabres to select him if available when Buffalo is on the clock. The potential for him to emerge as an impactful winger in the NHL is there.
