The 2020 NHL Draft will be an experience unlike any other in the history of the league.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic still an issue worldwide, the annual entry-level draft will take place virtually on Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon, as has much of the draft process since March. The first round of the NHL Draft will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday night, while Rounds 2-7 will follow on Wednesday afternoon starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.
As for the Buffalo Sabres, the team currently holds six picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, with the first pick coming eighth overall in the first round on Tuesday night. Buffalo will then have five picks on Day 2 of the draft in the second round (38), fourth round (100), fifth round (131), and two picks in the seventh round (193 and 216).
The 2020 draft will be the first for Director of Scouting Jeremiah Crowe in his new role in the Sabres organization. Crowe was promoted by general manager Kevyn Adams to the Director of Scouting role back in late June after spending three seasons in Buffalo as a pro scout.
For Crowe, this year's draft has certainly been a unique one given the current circumstances.
"I think it's been unique, just as it has been for anyone in not only hockey, but across all businesses," Crowe said with the Buffalo media in a Zoom conference call on Monday. "The unique part I think would be setting a bit of a different process to re-evaluate the work that had previously been done for the draft and utilizing different video, watching players from different regions and being creative about setting up the best process leading into this draft.
"The prospect interview process [has been unique], where a lot of it could be done in person. Obviously with travel restrictions and everything that complicates the world today, I have become much more adept at utilizing Zoom, and I think a lot of the prospects being 17-, 18-years-old are more comfortable than we were, in terms of the technology. Everything else, in terms of meetings, the discussion of players and framing out how they project, is just the same as it always would be."
It is always a tough process for a hockey operations department to pick up where things left off when there are changes within the organization in the offseason. Jason Botterill, and a number of other members of the hockey operations department were let go back on June 16 after another disappointing season from the Sabres saw the team finish in 25th place in the NHL standings.
However, given the time that was allotted to the Sabres with their 2019-20 season coming to an end due to COVID-19, it allowed Crowe and his staff in place to get to work and change some things up with evaluating some of the prospects for the 2020 NHL Draft.
"Myself coming from pro scouting, we had guys that had the existing information from amateur [scouting], but we also had the ability to involve people in development and get a unique perspective into what challenges might occur into players from draft day moving forward and what might need to be overcome with what they've seen from their experiences," Crowe said. "Utilizing video, we would set out the staff to evaluate players through multiple games the way they normally would and come back with their opinions. Then we would introduce things that we knew that they were accomplishing from an analytical perspective and ask them how did they accomplish this. The numbers are incredibly valuable because they represent fact, but they don't tell you how it's happening, if it projects or if it doesn't project.
"When we then re-visit the players again through video, we'd ask the questions and, where necessary, create crossover between groups, put guys on different players to get different perspective and kind of do the same thing: Re-evaluate, re-affirm, meet again and then move on to other groups."
During this whole process, Crowe had asked his staff members to drop any previous opinions they might have had of a player and remain objective and look at some prospects as if it was Day 1 of the evaluation process for the draft class.
"We looked at players through a little bit of a different lens and we wanted to give them a fresh slate," Crowe explained. "I think guys' opinions may have stayed the same, but they might have changed in an area that might change their perspective. We asked the guys to dream a little bit, but be cognizant of what could go wrong with a player because we don't want to leave any potential upside or projection go unknown. So tell us what you think could happen with this player if everything goes right. Tell us what you think could happen when everything goes wrong."
As for what Crowe is looking for in a player for the Sabres, he is looking for players who are competitive and have a strong desire to impact the game however they can at the NHL level. He also values prospects that are invested in themselves from a development perspective, and also burn to be hockey players.
Where Crowe does not want to get caught drafting is in an attempt to draft for need instead of simply taking the best player available for them, and one that has the highest upside for the team in the long-term.
"If you get into need-based drafting; you see how quick rosters can change in the NHL, and if you do that, I don't think it necessary is succinct from drafting to how things are going on with your team. You're looking for traits that you value as an organization moreso than position specific decision making," Crowe said.
"We want to be cognizant of a guy's path and how long we project we take them to take to reach the NHL, because it is important to get help from the draft, that's why it's done to begin with. But I think to make decisions based on [need] is something we're not going down the road of."
The Sabres will certainly have a number of options with the eighth pick in Tuesday night's first round of the draft. The team can go with some forward help with a number of quality players available with good long-term projection in the NHL. If available, Buffalo could look to a couple of quality defensemen in Jake Sanderson or Jamie Drysdale, or even go the goaltending route with stud Russian prospect Yaroslav Askarov.
Wherever the Sabres decide to turn, Crowe is confident that Buffalo's first selection in the draft will be one that can help the team going forward.
"The first round is exciting because you have availability of the largest portion of the player pool that makes up this draft class, but I do think there are areas in every part of this draft to get excited about. It just varies a little bit," Crowe said. "If you have a firm process for your organization, you can lead yourself in certain areas to be excited. I think that's fun for everyone involved, it's good for scouts to get passionate, and we've seen that in all areas of this draft, which makes me optimistic for these next two days."
As for Adams, this will also be his first NHL Draft in his new role with the Sabres. Adams was hired by owners Terry and Kim Pegula at the time they decided to move on from Botterill on June 16.
When asked about what he's learned from the preparations of his first draft as a general manager, Adams was impressed by the work that his staff has done with evaluations of the prospects, and is energized to get things going on Tuesday night.
"The process itself has been really, really impressive from the amount of work that has been done by the staff," Adams said with the media on Monday. "I have to say that the extra time because of COVID-19 and here we are in October and the draft being pushed back, I looked at it as an opportunity for us to learn more and do more. I give Jeremiah Crowe, Jason Nightingale and the entire scouting a ton of credit because there was a challenge to them to really take another look at this and reset some metrics of how we evaluate players. Those guys have really bought in and have covered an incredible amount of ground, and now here we are.
"I'm excited, I'm learning. I've been talking to the other general managers every day around the clock; some of the veteran ones I've talked to have asked me how I'm doing and I said, 'I'm excited.' ... In terms of how we're preparing and what we're doing, I think our guys are ready to go. There will be more conversations and meetings through tonight and into tomorrow, but I'm excited."
It will be the final call of Adams' to make when deciding on who to go with when selecting eighth overall on Tuesday night. However, Adams may have another decision to face if he has the option to move the pick to acquire a player to help the roster now.
Adams was sure to make his intentions clear on Monday that the team needs to improve the roster and become a better team, period. Whether it's by making the selection on Tuesday or possibly trading the pick away, he's open to any and all ideas to help make the Sabres a better hockey team.
"I want to help our team get better right now, but I also won't make a decision or won't recommend to make a decision that is not putting ourselves longer term in a good spot," Adams said. "I feel very strongly that there's a a lot of good hockey players in this draft. We like the position we're in, so I'm open to the conversations. I've had conversations, and we'll see where it goes over the next 24 hours or more. We'll have to play it by ear."
Coverage of the 2020 NHL Draft on WGR will start at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday night with Brian Koziol, Pat Malacaro and Brayton Wilson.
You can listen to both Crowe and Adams' conference calls below:
Coverage of the 2020 NHL Draft is presented by:
- Outlet Liquor
- Fiegel, Carr and Joyce
- Black Rock/Brighton-Eggert Pharmacies