What if: The Buffalo Sabres had the first overall pick in 2015

We all remember the Buffalo Sabres infamous 2014-15 season where they played to lose, hoping to land Connor McDavid first overall but ended up with Jack Eichel. It was so overhyped that Buffalo that the Erie Otters play a game in Buffalo to cheer on what was believed to be their future star. And currently, I wonder this because McDavid made Edmonton a place players wanted to play. Buffalo was also gearing up that year for McDavid. They went and got Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, Ryan O'Reilly, Robin Lehner, but I don't think Buffalo ends up with players like Dahlin and the rest. Except I don't think Dan Bylsma ends up coaching there, in fact I see Todd McLellan potentially taking over, not just that attracting really good players. This is all based on how I could see things going based on what happens present day or what could potentially happen in the long-run. 

Now, let's start with the 2015 NHL Draft Lottery. Now, Buffalo wins, Arizona picks second, and Edmonton picks third with the rest of the order going as planned. 

With the first overall pick, the Buffalo Sabres select, from the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League, Connor McDavid. 

We're going to talk about this pick first before we talk about the rest. Connor McDavid instantly turns Buffalo into a team everybody wants to play for and the fans have high expectation in this Sabres team. I don't think McDavid gets the injury that set him back in his rookie season, but I do believe he finishes the season as rookie of the year while also setting records lots of rookies never have. Except, I don't think the Sabres make the playoffs, but I think they come short of it. But, I see the Sabres drafting Jakob Chychrun and the Sabres likely making some big off-season moves such as trading for or signing big-name players. The following season I think Buffalo somehow gets one of the top-five goalies in the league which I'll say is Frederik Anderson, Buffalo makes the 2016-17 playoffs, and play the Ottawa Senators in the first round. I think the Sabres make it as far as the Western Conference Finals. The following year the Sabres land a superstar nobody thinks they get which I'm going to say is Matt Duchene, the 2017-18 season is highlighted with McDavid and Reinhart being a dynamic duo as McDavid and Reinhart both get big extensions forcing potential trades of big contracts. McDavid is finally named the full-time captain of the Buffalo Sabres, but lose second-round to the Tampa Bay Lightning. As for the 2018-19 season, I think the Sabres win their first ever Stanley Cup. I think the Sabres become a complete dynasty in this time period, as they become rivals with the Tampa Bay Lightning as I don't think anything entirely changes about them. The league respects the Sabres, and likely win they cup in 2023, 2024, and 2025 as well. The result of McDavid on the Sabres is he makes them a dynasty. The only thing here is I think this pushes the Bruins down the standing as for the long-run Toronto, Buffalo and Tampa run the Atlantic whereas they're the teams pretty much staples for the playoffs almost every year with Boston trying to get into a wild card spot. 

With the second overall pick, the Arizona Coyotes select, from Boston University, Jack Eichel. 

I see Jack Eichel being a young player for the Coyotes everybody has their eyes on and their faith of keeping them in the desert as relocation talks were ongoing since 2009. I think the Coyotes improve a little bit, Eichel manages to help them become a better team, but still selecting in the 5-10 range in the draft, which ironically they did and I still they think they take Clayton Keller, but no Jakob Chychryn as Buffalo snags him. I think the Coyotes do slightly better and I don't know if they trade their 2017 first-round pick. But let's say they don't and select Casey Mittelstadt. I think in 2018 Eichel is named captain, but the Coyotes just miss the playoffs, but trade their first-round pick for playoff help. I think the Coyotes make the playoffs in the 2018-19 season but lose in the conference finals. The following year they make a big trade to keep them in, and I think the Coyotes remain in the playoffs but lose in the first-round. Except, the difference here is Eichel is sold on the Coyotes being a good team. In fact, this boosts hope for the Coyotes to stay in Arizona as they finally have a good owner who can keep them in Arizona permanently. A brand new state of the art arena is built for the Arizona Coyotes, and remain in Arizona as a consistent playoff team. Except, to say the Coyotes aren't there anymore present day, I don't think the Coyotes ever win a cup, meaing Eichel likely retires cupless. But I imagine they'd likely lose to Buffalo in the finals. 

With the third pick, the Edmonton Oilers are proud to select, from the Erie Otters, Dylan Strome.

Why do I think the Oilers select Strome? Well, they get a top centre for their team who had one of the best seasons. But I think the difference here is Strome gets rushed into the NHL and puts up twentyish points his rookie year. I think Todd Nelson remains their head coach going into the 2015-16 season, but the Oilers finish in the bottom again and Todd Nelson is relieved of his duties. I imagine the Oilers still end up taking Jesse Puljujarvi, and finish at the bottom again where the Oilers decide to trade Ryan-Nugent Hopkins, Jordan Eberle, and finish last place again. I think Draisaitl is their superstar, but doesn't put up as high of numbers as he does with McDavid given only Draisaitl has, from the time I write this, sixty-nine points without McDavid. I think Draisaitl is a consistent seventy-point guy, but isn't the one to get the Oilers up the mountain. And I think the Oilers decide to draft Nolan Patrick, and I think Patrick does a bit better in Edmonton than he does in Philadelphia with high expectations on his back, except I expect the same outcome with him not playing as long. As for the following season, I think the Oilers still do horrible and Oiler fans get fed up. In 2018 they remain to be in the basement, and in the 2018 draft they don't have the first overall pick and take Filip Zadina, where Leon Draisaitl and Dylan Strome trade rumours begin as he somehow leads them in scoring but isn't getting the expected amount of points. Dylan Strome is likely traded to a team like Washington where he has the break he finally gets. The Oilers draft Kirby Dach with their first-round pick. As for the Oilers, they select in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft Alexis Lafreniere who I think is the player who lifts the Oilers spirits. In fact, I believe Lafreniere turns into the player everybody expected him to be and becomes the face and star for the Oilers. Around this time we see Draisaitl rumours coming up about moving on from the Oilers, where I think he gets traded to either Vegas, the Rangres, Florida or Tampa. In the 2021 NHL Draft the Oilers take Dylan Guenther, an Edmonton kid which makes the Oilers a much more likeable and promising team going forward. Funny enough, I think the Oilers draft Matt Savoie with their first-round pick in 2022, but I still think the Oilers are bad. So bad, they end up drafting Connor Bedard! Now, I'm going to pretend they had extra first-round picks from trades they make and say they took defenseman. I think by the 2024-25 NHL Season the Oilers finally make the Stanley Cup playoffs and the fans are back. 

As for the rest of the draft, I think everything goes as planned, except you gotta think if the Oilers trade for Griffin Reinhart, but in this case I say they do where the Islanders draft Mathew Barzal.