The Buffalo Sabres are a team that prides itself on winning games through solid defense and incredible balance. Unfortunately, the team’s balance wasn’t enough to get past the sixth-seeded Boston Bruins in the opening round of the 2010 playoffs.

The Sabres’ balance makes it difficult to pinpoint one specific position or type of player to draft.

One thing the Sabres will not need in this draft is a goalie. Ryan Miller will have the reigns between the pipes in Buffalo for years to come and 21-year-old goaltender Jhonas Enroth is developing nicely with the Portland Pirates in the AHL.

Rumor has it that the Sabres would like to land Notre Dame freshman Riley Sheahan in the first round of this year’s entry draft—which will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 25-26—assuming all of the other picks go according to plan. But would the well-rounded center fit into what the Sabres need to draft?

There are a lot of “what-ifs” taken into account in my thought process—and a lot of them will rely on the opening of free agency on July 1. The planning that it takes to account for every possible move that can be made by the 22 other teams that get to pick before the Sabres in the first round is incredible.

Since the Sabres don’t have a second-round pick this year—thanks a lot Craig Rivet—a lot of importance will be placed on who they take in the first round. Buffalo also has three third-round picks to make up for that long stretch between the first and third round without a selection.

Here are five types of players Buffalo should be looking to select in this year’s draft.

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