The Buffalo Sabres were fortunate at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas after trading down three slots with the San Jose Sharks the day before the draft to garner an extra second-round pick. At #11, the Sharks selected London defenseman Sam Dickinson, who had a 91-point season with the OHL Knights, and Minnesota chose blueliner Zeev Buium, who won gold with Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships.