What the Sabres’ future could’ve looked like with Connor McDavid

Yes, that’s how the story played out. But the Sabres actually had the best chance at landing a kid from the Erie Otters named Connor McDavid.

McDavid was the most exciting prospect since John Tavares in 2009. McDavid had it all. He was heralded as the next big NHL superstar.

The scouts who touted McDavid were right on the money. McDavid went on to become the face of the NHL. His multiple Hart Trophies and scoring titles have earned him the title of the NHL’s best player at the moment.

The Sabres entered the 2015 NHL Draft Lottery with a 20 percent chance of landing the top-overall pick. Had it happened, the Sabres would have taken McDavid. No questions asked. There would have been no doubt about it.

Instead, the Sabres got Eichel, with the Arizona Coyotes getting Dylan Strome at number three, and the Toronto Maple Leafs landing Mitch Marner at number four. The Carolina Hurricanes rounded out the top five with Noah Hanifin.

Interestingly enough, Eichel, Marner, and Hanifin are now teammates in Vegas.

McDavid went to the Oilers at number one, and, well, Eichel had a bumpy ride in Buffalo to say the least.

But how would the Sabres’ fortunes have changed if they had landed McDavid?

It’s an intriguing thought. Perhaps McDavid would have been the catalyst for a resurgence in Buffalo. Things could have changed to the point where the Sabres could have become a dominant power in the Eastern Conference.

Connor McDavid could have transformed the Sabres into a powerhouse

Let’s assume for a minute that McDavid was going to be McDavid regardless of where he played. That situation would have meant McDavid would have run amok in the Eastern Conference instead of the West.

It would have also meant that the Sabres could have been a better team than they have been over the last decade and a half or so.

That situation means the Sabres could have made the playoffs at one point or another instead of missing 14 years in a row. The playoff appearances would have also meant no lottery picks in various seasons.

So, there’s a chance the Sabres would have never drafted Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Jack Quinn, and Dylan Cozens.

There’s also a strong possibility that first-round busts Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Nylander would have never ended up in Buffalo.

Of course, a successful Sabres team would have depended on the supporting cast McDavid would have had in Buffalo. It’s also worth pointing out that McDavid would not have had Leon Draisaitl in Buffalo.

So, there’s also a possibility that the Sabres would have been bad with McDavid anyway. In such a situation, McDavid could have ended up like Eichel. The Sabres would have been forced to trade him.

If McDavid had gone Eichel’s way, McDavid would have a Stanley Cup by now. So, in a roundabout way, the Vegas Golden Knights are fortunate that McDavid ended up in Edmonton and not Buffalo.