When the Buffalo Sabres drafted Alexander Nylander with the 8th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, it’s safe to say that there were quite a few eyebrows raised by the decision.
While it is true that a few mock drafts actually had the Sabres picking Nylander, the majority of people who try and predict something like the draft had the Sabres snagging a left-handed defenseman with the eighth pick. Lord knows that Buffalo still had a number of quality blueliners to choose from when it was their turn to pick, as Mikhail Sergachev (9th), Jake Bean (13th), Charles McAvoy (14th) and Jakob Chychrun (16th) were still unclaimed when the Sabres opted to go with Nylander.