3 defensemen the Buffalo Sabres need to pursue in free agency
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres are most likely going to spend a larger sum of their cap on a defenseman in free agency. Here are three they must strongly consider.
The Buffalo Sabres will look for an established defenseman to pair with Owen Power on the second pairing. Such a move will bump Henri Jokiharju back to the third pairing while either Casey Fitzgerald or Jacob Bryson – assuming he re-signs – will pair with Joki.
So who are the best defensemen for the Sabres to pursue? Today, we will discuss three of them. And while I believe general manager Kevyn Adams will take the cost effective route in his pursuit for a defenseman, I am going to list one high-profile player, one mid-tier player, and one (most likely) bargain deal.
So who do I have on my radar? Let’s start with the player who I believe provides the bang for buck option.
Defenseman the Buffalo Sabres must pursue: Player #1 – Ilya Lyubushkin
Lyubushkin spent time in both Arizona and Toronto last season, and his cap hit last season was an affordable $1.35 million. Although some say he is at his best on the bottom pairing, he would pair well with Power on the second line next season, operating as a sledgehammer to Power’s two-way tendencies.
A big hitter, Lyubushkin recorded 187 of them last season to go with 92 blocks. He’s not going to score often, evidenced by his 15 points in 77 games last season. But Lyubushkin showed off his durability in 2021-22, providing a physical presence whether he was in the desert or north of the border.
He also enjoyed a career high 17:27 of average ice time. Something he may even see an increase of if he signs with the Sabres. While Lyubushkin hasn’t produced eye-popping statistics, the 28-year-old has established himself as an adequate NHL defenseman capable of producing when called upon. Our friends at Editor In Leaf predicted he would sign his next contract for $1.5 million a year.