Buffalo Sabres: 5 young defensemen taking over NHL

Henri Jokiharju

Jokiharju is perhaps the team’s most underrated defenseman despite his status on the Sabres first pairing. He lacks aggression, with just 35 hits and 30 blocks in 37 games. Jokiharju can also stand to fare better in the takeaway department, logging just 17 in his last 83 appearances.

However, he possesses outstanding puck control, committing just 37 giveaways in the past two seasons. Since he arrived in Buffalo, Jokiharju’s average ice time has steadily increased to the point he can regularly turn in 21 minutes per game. He’s also logging a career-high in shooting percentage at 6.5%.

He needs to work on his aggression, and it’s unlikely he will stick onto the first pairing in the not-so-distant future with guys like Casey Fitzgerald making an impact. But at worst, Jokiharju would make an excellent puzzle piece to the third if not the second pairing.