Buffalo Sabres: Three reasons Mark Pysyk may return
By Sion Fawkes
The Hockey Writers had a lot of good things to say about Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mark Pysyk. Going as far as to lobby for his return.
I don’t often write slideshows about why a specific player may return. But The Hockey Writers simply had too many goods to say about defenseman Mark Pysyk, ending with a plea that the Buffalo Sabres should re-sign him.
While it is a given that the Sabres will be building their defensive rotation around Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power, and Henri Jokiharju, the common denominator is that they are all in their early twenties. The Sabres are also likely to re-sign RFA Jacob Bryson and to call Casey Fitzgerald back to the NHL level.
So what’s the point of re-signing Pysyk? There are actually three reasons you may see Pysyk return to Buffalo this season.
Why the Buffalo Sabres my re-sign Mark Pysyk – Reason #1: A solid 2021-22 campaign
While you may not have noticed it, Pysyk played much better than he was given credit for. While 12 points in 68 games was forgettable, Pysyk dived into a role that displayed his defensive capabilities. One that former defenseman Jake McCabe left behind.
The Hockey Writers credited Pysyk’s playing style as a catalyst for Rasmus Dahlin’s and Henri Jokiharju’s growth. Especially Dahlin, although later in the season Pysyk’s leadership qualities looked as though they rubbed off on Jokiharju.
If Pysyk returns because of his solid output, don’t expect him to reach the 68-game threshold. But you will see him slide into the third pairing for between 40 and 55 games.