Coming out of the NHL Scouting Combine earlier this month, the Buffalo Sabres got the lowdown on a number of prospects that could be their with the ninth selection at the 2025 Draft in Los Angeles this week, but barring a trade up they will have to rely on the player they want slipping through the cracks.  

The NY Islanders are likely to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the top overall pick, but there is no accurate read on how the remaining seven picks will break. That seems to be reflected in various mock drafts that have emerged since the combine. After Schaefer, names like Michael Misa, Caleb Desnoyers, and rising star Anton Frondell are likely to go in the top five, but at that point, any of a number of players could be there for the Sabres at #9.  

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In the final projection before the Draft on Friday, we look at Braedan Cootes of the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. The 18-year-old center is teammates with Sabres goalie prospect Scott Ratzlaff and 2025 first round prospect Radim Mrtka, who Buffalo has been projected to select with their pick. Cootes is from the suburbs of Edmonton, and after a 35-point rookie WHL campaign where he went -22, the 18-year-old scored over a point-per-game and was +5. 

According to the Hockey News Draft Preview, Cootes ran roughshod over the competition at the Under-18 worlds with Team Canada (with 12 points in seven games) and has a chance to go pretty high, as there aren’t many flaws to his game. He is considered a high motor player, but his one drawback is that he is 5’11”, 183 lb. in a size-conscious draft, A right-handed center, he is strong in all aspects of the game, skating, playmaking, and hockey IQ.  

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