Today’s mock draft is more involved than just making picks. We asked our writers to not only make a selection but also provide some context into the teams’ drafting philosophies and organizational needs. I’ve added my analysis of their picks for the entire first round of the draft.



Next week will be my personal mock draft.



Check out Corey Pronman’s complete preview of the 2018 NHL draft and all of The Athletic’s draft coverage.



No. 1 Buffalo: Rasmus Dahlin, D, Frolunda-SHL



What does the team typically value in players?



Last year’s draft was GM Jason Botterill’s first after replacing Tim Murray, so it’s early to detect trends. Botterill’s previous organization, the Pittsburgh Penguins, has done well with college players in the past, and the Sabres took a seventh-round flyer on Wisconsin-bound Linus Weissbach last year. Weissbach followed it up with 26 points in 34 games during...