Sharpen Up: June 22, 2018

It's the night we've all been waiting for: Draft Night. The Sabres are on the clock with the first overall pick. Tune in to NBCSN at 7:30 p.m. ET or if you're in Buffalo, stop by the draft party in Alumni Plaza in KeyBank Center. And everyone should be locked in to our draft coverage presented by New Era at Sabres.com/2018Draft.
Here's what you need to know.

In and around Dallas

We took some time to focus on Central Scouting's No. 1 draft-eligible prospect Rasmus Dahlin. Duffer hosts our Media Day recap, where we found out a little bit more about the Swedish defenseman:

We have more on Dahlin in this written piece. Here's a sampling:
Rasmus Dahlin has dealt with more hype than any other prospect leading up to the 2018 NHL Draft, yet he insists he hasn't found the process to be difficult. When he has needed words of encouragment, he credits his parents, Martin and Asa, with being his mentors.
Their best advice to him?
"Probably be yourself," Dahlin said Thursday.
So, who is Rasmus Dahlin? Adam Boqvist, a fellow Swedish defense prospect who's known Dahlin for six years, chose "funny" and "humble" as the two adjectives he'd use to describe his friend. Those descriptors match the image Dahlin has portrayed throughout his draft process.
From his time spent in Buffalo for the NHL Scouting Combine earlier this month to his session with the media on the eve of the draft, Dahlin has maintained a balance of composure and humility. He refuses to look ahead any further than Friday's first round, where he's been widely projected as the No. 1 pick to Buffalo.
Duffer also chatted with Buffalo's director of amateur scouting Ryan Jankowski to see how scouting meetings have been going:

Jason Botterill will address the media later this morning and we'll have all of the news to come out of that for you.
Way more coming your way tonight so stick with us. It's going to be fun.
Oh, and The Instigators will be broadcasting live from Big D. They'll be on the air for five hours today on MSG and WGR 550 to get you ready for tonight. If you've missed any of their shows, you can check them out here.

Check out the Draft Party

We're hosting an NHL Draft party presented by Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino tonight at KeyBank Center. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and draft coverage begins at 7 p.m.
The party will take place in Alumni Plaza with national coverage of the draft shown on large screens.
Sabres alumni will be available to sign autographs, and there will be numerous activities for kids throughout the event. NHL Network will be on hand with a mock television set and an inflatable hockey shot game. Balloon and air-brush tattoo artists will be present, and DJ Milk will serve as the emcee for the event. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from vendors including (716) Food and Sport, Coca-Cola, Labatt, La Nova, Lloyd Taco Truck and Perry's Ice Cream.
The NHL Draft party is free to the public and complimentary parking will be available in the KeyBank Center ramp for fans attending the event. In the event of inclement weather, the party will be moved to the arena floor inside KeyBank Center.

Schedule released

The 2018-19 regular-season schedule was announced yesterday. Ticket pricing information for individual home games will be released at a later date.
The Sabres open their season at home on Thursday, Oct. 4 against the Boston Bruins, kicking off a four-game home stand to start the campaign. The team will then travel west for a five-game Pacific Division road trip that will be the team's longest stretch away from home in 2018-19.
Click here for some schedule highlights.