After suffering through a tumultuous season, Sabres GM Jason Botterill finally had a big reason to smile Saturday night. He admitted it was a little nerve-wracking waiting for the end of the NHL Draft Lottery, but it was well worth it, as the blue and gold got the top pick for the third time in franchise history.

“We knew we were going to be one through four. We knew we were going to get a very good player added to our organization. But it’s great that we control our own destiny. We get to pick who we want. That’s a great feeling,” said Botterill.

Having the second, third or fourth pick wouldn’t be too bad, but Botterill knows how much more exciting it is to have the first pick—great for fans, great for the organization and great for players.

“Players are drawn and excited about other skilled players. We saw it at the end of the year, whenever we brought up a player from Rochester or brought up Casey, There’s an excitement level with the guys. Hopefully they’re excited about the situation here, about having all-star talent here,” said Botterill.

Botterill says the Sabres are looking over their options and don’t have their minds made up on who will be the number-one pick. But he did have a big smile on his face when talking about Rasmus Dahlin, a Swedish defenseman who is the top prospect in all of hockey. We’ll have to wait for the draft to see if the Sabres make him the number-one selection.