It was a busy weekend for the Buffalo Sabres. After day one of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles, the Buffalo Sabres got down business in day two on Saturday, drafting eight more prospects.

The Sabres began the day without a second round selection, but made three picks in the third round starting with the 68th pick by selecting defenseman Jerome, Gauthier-Leduc from Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

At 6-1, 176-pounds, Gauthier-Leduc is a high powered offensive defenseman, who has little trouble finding the back of the net. In 68 games, he scored 20 goals, 26 assists for 46 points, which ranked him second among all defensemen in the QMJHL.

It may be a couple years before he’s ready to play professional hockey with the Portland Pirates and will need to improve his defensive play before making any serious impact in the Sabres organization.

“He’s a very skilled guy,” said NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Bordeleau in this year’s NHL Draft Guide. “He’s got size and he’ll have to work on the defensive aspects of the game, sometimes he throws caution to the wind and forgets what position he plays. But sometimes that’s what you want to see from a hockey player — take the puck and go.”

Buffalo only needed wait seven picks later before selecting Kevin Sundher with the 75th selection.

The 18-year old center played for the Chilliwack Bruins of the WHL where he scored 25 goals, 36 assists for 61 points. At 6-1, 192-pounds, he carries potential to be a power forward in the Sabres organization as they continue to get bigger and stronger.

The Sabres added another defenseman to the organization by taking Matt MacKenzie with their third selection in the third round, #83 overall.

MacKenzie was one part of the top pairing with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL, along with Zak Stebner, that helped lead the team to a Western Hockey League Championship and a berth in Memorial Cup.

The 6-1, 191-pound defenseman from New Westminster, BC scored 40 points (6g, 34a) in 64 games and fits the mold of an all-around defenseman after registering a plus/minus rating of plus-14.

A player that sort of fell down to the Sabres was center Steven Shipley from the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL, who was selected with the 98th pick in the fourth round.

As with Sundher, Shipley, at 6-2, 205-pounds, fits the mold of the Sabres getting bigger than players they’ve drafted in the past such as Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Ennis. In 68 games, he scored 63 points and his coach in Owen Sound Mark Reeds feels he has the potential to go far.

“Steven has stepped up his play for us with the number of injuries we have had this year, he said in the draft guide. “He is a rangy skilled centermen who is also capable of playing the wing. He sees the ice well and makes the right play and can score. He has been more dependable in his own end this year and has been good on the penalty kill. His size and reach make him a tremendous asset on the 5 on 4 and 5 on 3. His ability to win the big draw, or make a big play has been very noticeable this year. He has the ability to use his size to take the puck to the net. He wants to be on the ice in key situations.”

For the Sabres fifth selection, it has all the makings for the perfect human interest story, but don’t tell that to Gregg Sutch of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors because sympathy is not in his vocabulary.

Sutch is severely hearing impaired, something he was born with, but that never stopped the 18-year old from accomplishing his goal.

“I’ve been told so many times that I’m not going to be able to do this or that, but I always take it as a challenge,” Sutch told Canada’s National Post. “All my life I have been proving people wrong.”

That said, in 43 games with Mississauga, he’s scored only eight points, but he’s a player known more for his defensive responsibilities when he’s on the ice using his other sense to help him on the ice.

“I’ve learned to be a better hockey player,” he told the Toronto Star in a 2008 article. “To play this game you have to keep your head up and know what’s going on at all times. Because of my hearing impairment, I’m not able to rely on the people who are around me. I’ve got to know myself where they are.”

Buffalo went completely off the board with their sixth round selection by taking their tallest player in the draft as they chose Cedrick Henley from Val d’ Or of the QMJHL with the 173rd pick.

Henley, never ranked, is a 6-5, 195-pound winger, who the Sabres feel could help with some toughness along the boards. He has 31 points in 105 career games with Val d’ Or.

The Sabres two final selection came in the final round when they selected forward Christian Isackson with the 203rd pick, followed by Riley Boychuk with the 208th selection.

Isackson spent this past season playing at St. Thomas Academy in Minnesota where he finished second on the team in scoring with 57 points (25g, 32a) in 26 games with the Cadets. He led the team in power play goals with nine.

He’ll join the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL in the fall, and has committed to play collegiate hockey with the University of Minnesota.

Boychuk, who plays for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, may be applying his trade in the East Coast Portland someday and is certainly to become a fan favorite for the Pirates.

Boychuk, at 6-4, 210-pound, can do it all; hit, score, play defense and of course drop the gloves when needed.

In 133 games, he’s scored 21 goals, 27 assists for 48 points along with 243 penalty minutes.

At the end of the day, Buffalo Sabres Director of Amateur Scouting summed it up best to the Buffalo News.

“We got a little bit of everything,” he said.

NOTES: It wasn’t a nice weekend for Maine natives Jacob Rutt Brian Billett and Garnet Hathaway as they went undrafted. Rutt and Hathaway were ranked players according NHL Central Scouting and the International Scouting Service, but things just never fell into place.

It was a good day for the Lewiston Maineiacs Samuel Carrier and Michael Chaput.

Chaput was drafted in the third round (#89 overall) by the Philadelphia Flyers and Carrier was selected #176 (sixth round) by the Washington Capitals.

Univ. of Maine recruit Martin Ouellette was taken in the seventh round (#184 overall) by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Ouellette is expecting to battle for a spot in this year squad with the Black Bears.