SABRES ROUND OUT DRAFT CLASS WITH FOUR-PICK DAY
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Buffalo Sabres selected four players on the second day of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia These four selections join Buffalo’s first-round picks, forwardDylan Cozens and defenseman Ryan Johnson, to complete the team’s 2019 draft class, which includes four forwards, one defenseman and one goaltender.
A native of Gothenburg, Sweden, Portillo has spent the last four seasons playing junior hockey for Frölunda at the under-16, under-18 and under-20 levels. He was selected fifth overall by the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the 2019 USHL Entry Draft and is committed to the University of Michigan.
In the fourth round, the Sabres traded one of the team’s three sixth-round picks to move up from 122nd to 102nd overall to select forward Aaron Huglen (5’11, 166 lbs., 3/6/2001). The Roseau, Minnesota native split the 2018-19 season between the USHL and high school hockey. He recorded 14 points (4+10) in 28 USHL games with the Fargo Force and posted 54 points (17+37) in 26 games as team captain in his senior season at Roseau High School, earning a nomination as a 2019 Minnesota Mr. Hockey finalist. The forward rounded out the season by representing the United States at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he scored two goals in five games.
The Sabres traded up once again in the fifth round, sending one of the their remaining sixth-round picks and the team’s seventh-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for the 143rd overall pick. With the 143rd pick, the team selected forward Filip Cederqvist.
A Skara, Sweden native, Cederqvist (6’1”, 187 lbs., 8/23/2000) made his SHL debut with the Växjö Lakers last season, recording eight points (4+4) in 33 regular-season games in Sweden’s top professional league. He added one goal in six playoff contests as rookie. In his second season as part of the Växjö organization, Cederqvist also played in 26 SuperElit games, totaling 32 points (14+18) in his third partial season at the under-20 level.
With their final remaining pick, the Sabres selected Czech forward Lukas Rousek (5’11, 165 lbs., 4/20/1999). Rousek totaled 11 points (4+7) in 60 games during the last two seasons for Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga, the Czech Republic’s top professional league. In 2018-19, he also appeared in 16 games in the Czech second division, recording 15 points (7+8) in 16 games for Stadion Litomerice.
(photo by Koz)
