The Sabres drafted Sardarian in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft
The Buffalo Sabres are considered one of the best deepest prospect pools in the NHL, not only because of their selecting high in recent drafts but also due to their eye for talent and their organizational choices of either leaving players to develop in their home countries or bringing them to North America. Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club’s top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals and have played less than 40 NHL games.
READ ABOUT OTHER SABRES PROSPECTS
30. VASILI ZELENOV
29. AARON HUGLEN
28. MATTEO COSTANTINI
27. RYERSON LEENDERS
26. PATRICK GEARY
25. ETHAN MIEDEMA
24. Stiven Sardarian – Right Wing (New Hampshire - NCAA)
The Sabres selected Sardarian in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft with the pick obtained from the Florida Panthers for Brandon Montour. The St. Petersburg native played his youth hockey in the Moscow Dynamo system but chose to come to North America in 2021 and play in the NCAA. After a season with Youngstown in the USHL.
Sardarian is a lanky winger at 6’1″, 157 lb. and his pro prospects may depend on filling out physically over the next few seasons. As a freshman at UNH, he had only seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 29 games. His sophomore campaign showed some progress, as he doubled his offensive totals to 14 points and scored seven times in 32 games, but on Monday it was announced that the 21-year-old is using the NCAA transfer portal to go to Michigan Tech.
Hockey Prospect’s Black Book indicates that Sardarian has a lot of timidity in his game that will have to be eliminated if he wishes to get to the next level. “His skill level is fine, but he gets pushed to the perimeter without much of a fight. That’s really a statement on his game as a whole. He is notably reticent to give or take contact. His defensive zone play is virtually non-existent, in large part because of his averseness to contact.”
