With the 131st overall pick in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres go local with their pick, selecting center Matteo Constantini from the Buffalo Jr. Sabres in the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.
Constantini had an impressive first season in the OJHL this past season with the Jr. Sabres, scoring 36 goals and registering 32 assists for 68 points in 50 games. In six playoff games this year, he scored twice and registered eight assists for 10 points before the playoffs were canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 6-foot, 170-pound native of St. Catharines, Ontario is set to play his 2020-21 season in the British Columbia Hockey League with the Penticton Vees before playing college hockey at the University of North Dakota starting in the fall of 2021.
The Sabres will next pick in the seventh round of the NHL Draft with the 193rd overall selection.