Las Vegas, Nev. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - With the 108th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres take defenseman Luke Osburn from the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League (USHL).
The native of Plymouth, Michigan is one of the youngest players available in the 2024 NHL Draft, being born six days before the cutoff day for the 2025 NHL Draft.
The left-shot defenseman stands at 6-foot-1 and 172 pounds, and played in his first season in the USHL last year with the Phantoms. The 17-year-old played in 60 games, scoring eight goals and adding 15 assists for 23 points. His eight goals led all rookie USHL defenseman this season, while his assist and point totals were third overall for rookies in the league.
Elite Prospects considers Osburn to be a puck-moving defenseman with good puck handling abilities, being good at controlling, maneuvering, and maintaining possession of the puck.
Here's more from Elite Prospects' scouting report of Osburn:
"Activation looks instinctive; he instantly joins the play at the right moments and stays inside passing lanes. From the point, he uses stop-starts and heel-to-heel skating to pull in defenders before slipping down the boards. In the rush, he manipulates defenders with crossovers, weight shifts, and fakes, then walks inside for a scoring chance."
According to Elite Prospects, Osburn is committed to play at the University of Wisconsin. He is expected to return to Youngstown to play the 2024-25 season before heading to Madison to play as a Freshman for the Badgers.
Buffalo will next select with the 123rd overall pick in the fourth round of the draft.
