“As much as he’s a scorer, which he clearly is, he was also driving play by himself,” Forton said. No one else on Neuchev’s team scored more than 16 goals or recorded more than 40 points. He also pumped a league-high 363 shots on goal. His gaudy goal total ranked third in the MHL, a Russian junior league. Neuchev enjoyed a terrific season in 2021-22, registering 40 goals and 67 points, both team highs, in 61 games for Avto Yekaterinburg. If there’s a player we felt is in a spot that is high value, we’re going to make the pick.”
We know there’s a path that takes a while. “There’s a lot to be excited about him in terms of potential, similar to some of the stuff we talked about last year. “We see a high-talent, big upside type of player,” Adams said Friday after the draft ended inside the Bell Centre.
Still, they believe picking him is worth the risk. The Sabres understand it might take time for the 6-foot-2, 165-pound Neuchev, 18, to come to North America. So when Neuchev was available in the third, 74th overall, they couldn’t resist. Last year, the Sabres selected four Russians, the first time they had drafted any since 2016. They might put an asterisk next to some of their names – Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine has greatly impacted the hockey world – but they wouldn’t rule out taking any. Their analytics staff pegged him as a first-round selection.Īs the draft approached, general manager Kevyn Adams said the Sabres would evaluate Russians as prospects first. Many Sabres scouts graded Neuchev as a first- or early second-round pick. They ranked the talented winger as one of the top three Russian prospects in the NHL Draft, said Jerry Forton, the director of amateur scouting. MONTREAL – In Viktor Neuchev, the Buffalo Sabres saw value.
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