2023 NHL Draft Day 2 Tracker

Last night, the Buffalo Sabres selected Winnipeg forward Zach Benson with the 13th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

On Day 2, the Sabres added seven players in Rounds 2-7, starting a pair second-round picks in forward Anton Wahlberg and defenseman Maxim Strbak.

Round 2

Anton Wahlberg - C - Malmo (J20 Nationell) | 39th overall (from Philadelphia)

The Sabres used their first second-round pick to select Swedish center Anton Wahlberg, who recorded 27 points (14+13) in 32 games for Malmo of the J20 league.

The 6-foot-3, 192-pound native of Malmo, Sweden appeared in 17 SHL contests in 2022-23, tallying two goals and two assists. He made his SHL debut as a 16-year-old in 2021-22.

During the 2023 IIHF U-18 World Championship, Wahlberg compiled six points (3+3) in seven games to help lead Sweden to a silver medal.

Maxim Strbak - D - Sioux Falls (USHL) | 45th overall

The Sabres selected defenseman Maxim Strbak with the 45th overall pick. He tallied five goals and 13 assists in 46 games for Sioux Falls of the USHL.

The right-shot defenseman served as team captain for Slovakia at the 2023 IIHF U-18 World Championship, recording six points (0+6) in seven games.

At 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, Strbak earned a silver medal with Slovakia at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

His father, Martin, was selected by the Los Angeles Kings with the 224th-overall pick in the 1993 NHL Draft, appearing in 49 career games with the Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Strbak is committed to Michigan State University.

Round 3

Gavin McCarthy - D - Muskegon (USHL) | 86th overalll (from Los Angeles)

The Sabres took local product Gavin McCarthy with their third-round pick.

A native of Clarence Center, the right-shot defenseman recorded 27 points (8+19) in 42 games for Muskegon, where he led all defenseman in power-play goals (4).

McCarthy compiled 40 (10+30) points in 95 career USHL contests with the Lumberjacks.

The Boston University commit played AAA Junior Hockey for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres for three seasons prior to his time in Muskegon.

Round 4

Ethan Miedema - LW - Windson/Kingston (OHL) | 109th overall

Buffalo added winger Ethan Miedema in the fourth round.

The Port St. John, British Columbia native tallied 11 goals and 20 assists for the Windsor Spitfires before being traded to Kingston.

For the Frontenacs, Miedema recorded 21 points (9+12) in 32 games. His 52 total points and 32 total assists in the 2022-23 campaign ranked first among all Kingston skaters.

Miedema was drafted fourth overall in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection by Windsor.

Round 5

Scott Ratzlaff - G - Seattle (WHL) | 141st overall

The Sabres selected a goalie with the 141st-overall pick.

The 6-foot, 175-pound native of Irma, Alberta posted a 25-8-1 record in 2022-23 for the Seattle Thunderbirds, winning the WHL championship.

As the fourth-ranked North American goalie by NHL Central Scouting, Ratzlaff ranked first in the league with five shutouts and second in goals-against average with a 2.15.

At the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he took home gold with Team Canada as he led all goaltenders in the tournament in save percentage (.976) and goals-against average (0.50).

Round 6

Sean Keohane - D - Dexter Southfield School | 173rd overall

Buffalo went with another defenseman with its sixth-round pick, selecting Sean Keohane at 173rd overall.

The 6-foot-4, 182-pound left-shot defenseman tallied four goals and 12 assists in 32 games at Dexter Southfield School, while serving as the team captain.

The Milton, Massachusetts native was selected last spring by the Tri-City Storm in the USHL Phase ll Draft. He is committed to playing collegiately at Harvard in 2024.

Round 7

Norwin Panocha - D - Eisbaren Berlin (DEL U-20) | 205th overall

With their final pick in the draft, the Sabres selected defenseman Norwin Panocha of the German junior league. For Eisbaren Berlin's U-20 team, Panocha registered 22 points (6+16) in 34 games and added two goals and three assists in eight playoff games.

The 6-foot-1, 178-pound native of Bayreuth, Germany posted three points (2+1) in six games for Germany at the 2023 IIHF U-18 Championship and was named a top player for his team in the tournament.

Panocha will play for Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL in 2023-24, the highest level of professional hockey in Germany.