NHL Rumors: Latest Buzz on Jacob Perreault's Draft Stock, Lawrence Pilut, Sabres

With the first phase of the NHL draft lottery complete, the hype for this year's draft continues to grow, even if it won't take place until after the 2019-20 season is completed.

The teams that own the Nos. 2-8 picks are set, and it's known which teams will have a chance at claiming the No. 1 selection in the second phase of the lottery. Each of eight teams that lose during the play-in round of the expanded 24-team playoffs will have a 12.5-percent chance of landing the top pick.

While the draft and offseason are still several months away, there's still related buzz from around the NHL.

Latest on Jacob Perreault's Draft Stock

Jacob Perreault is the son of a former NHL player, Yanic Perreault. He was a top scoring threat in the OHL this past season, tallying 70 points (39 goals and 31 assists) in 57 games for the Sarnia Sting. So it shouldn't be a surprise when the 18-year-old center is selected in the first round of this year's NHL draft.

However, there are still some areas of his game that could use some improvement before he gets on NHL ice.

"Consistency of effort and play away from the puck continue to be areas scouts harp on about Perreault's overall projection," ESPN's Chris Peters recently wrote. "But the scoring ability keeps the son of former NHLer Yanic Perreault in the top 20 [prospects]."

Peters also noted the centerman has "an elite shot" and is "among the best pure goal scorers in this class." If he can improve in the areas in which scouts are concerned about, he has the potential to develop into a top offensive player in the NHL.

The Dallas Stars could be one fit for Perreault, with Peters noting they "have not landed a lot of especially high-end forward talent in the draft in recent years." Meanwhile, The Athletic's Corey Pronman has Perreault getting selected by the New York Rangers with the No. 24 pick.

But with the draft not taking place until the 2019-20 season is completed, there's still plenty of time for teams to think over what they will do with their picks.

The Reason Behind Pilut's Decision to Head to KHL

This offseason, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Lawrence Pilut was set to become an unrestricted free agent. Instead, the 24-year-old went a different route. In May, he signed a deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Kontinental Hockey League after spending two seasons with the Sabres.

In 46 NHL games over the past two seasons, Pilut had a goal and five assists. He spent most of his time with the franchise playing for the Rochester Americans of the AHL.

Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News broke down what went into Pilut's decision to leave Buffalo and head to Russia:

"Multiple sources familiar with the negotiations told The Buffalo News that previous Sabres management, led by former general manager Jason Botterill, declined to meet Lawrence Pilut's request for a one-way contract, which would pay Pilut the same amount if he was assigned to the AHL's Rochester Americans. The sources added the Sabres did not present Pilut with a one-way offer until after the KHL deal was complete."

Although Pilut didn't make a huge impact after signing with the Sabres, they are still losing defensive depth. And at 24, his best years are likely still to come.

According to Lysowski, "Buffalo will retain Pilut's NHL rights until he turns 27." So if Pilut decides he wants to return to North America in the next three years, we may not have seen the last of him in a Sabres uniform.