It is a longshot that players who go unsigned by NHL clubs after being drafted make any impact. The Buffalo Sabres are one club that found out the hard way that sometimes players fall through the cracks. In 2016, Buffalo selected in the sixth round winger Brandon Hagel from the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels. After two unspectacular seasons, Hagel went unsigned and signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks. He then scored 102 points as an overager, went to the American Hockey League, worked his way to the NHL, was traded to Tampa Bay in 2022 and three years later is a shoo in to make Team Canada for the upcoming Olympic games.
