Overview
- Commissioner Gary Bettman joined team and city officials in Buffalo to announce the event ahead of the Sabres’ game on Monday.
- Prospects and their families will attend in person as club executives make selections from their home markets for a second straight year.
- This will be the fourth time Buffalo hosts the draft and the first since 2016, with the city again staging the NHL Scouting Combine this spring.
- Penn State freshman Gavin McKenna is widely viewed as the front-runner for No. 1, with strong NCAA and world junior production, and he tops NHL Central Scouting’s mid-season list for North American skaters.
- Sportsnet reports the league plans tweaks to streamline the show, including scrapping post-pick virtual calls with team offices, limiting player interviews to one, and shortening the walk to the stage.