Buffalo Sabres: Breaking down the other new defensemen
With nine seasons of combined NHL and KHL experience, new Buffalo Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin got most of the attention.
The Buffalo Sabres signed four defensemen on the first day of NHL free agency, which dramatically filled their pool of available players. Ilya Lyubushkin was the big name piece, but let’s not forget about Kale Clague, Chase Priskie, and Jeremy Davies.
While no one expects the aforementioned defensemen to grace the blue and gold, they do make for interesting prospects at the AHL level, something their one-year, two-way prove-it deals suggest. Let’s look at all three prospects individually, breaking down their past performances in the NHL and what they bring to the organization.
Introducing the ‘other’ new defensemen for the Buffalo Sabres: Player #1 – Kale Clague
The 24-year-old Clague brings 129 games of AHL experience and 58 games at the NHL level. Last season, Clague played in a career-high 36 NHL contests with the Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens, scoring 10 points and two goals in those appearances.
He noticeably struggled with puck control, evidenced by his 35 giveaways. His six takeaways also show his current fringe ability in the turnover battle. However, Clague has displayed a penchant for sacrificing the body, evidenced by his 23 blocks last season.
Clague is going to add viable AHL insurance to the Buffalo Sabres. However, he has a narrow outside chance to earn a spot rotating in on the third pairing on the main roster. Yet if this is the case, he will most likely play third fiddle to the likes of Jacob Bryson and Casey Fitzgerald, who will most likely pair with either Ilya Lyubushkin or Henri Jokiharju on the third.
That said, expect Clague to start the season in Rochester. And if our wild card, Lawrence Pilut signs, it is almost a guarantee that Clague will be playing in blue and red as opposed to blue and gold all season.
Chase Priskie
An older prospect, Priskie turned 26 in March. He played college hockey at Quinnipiac University, where he also showed two-way tendencies, evidenced by his 116 points in 154 games.
Priskie has just four games of NHL experience, logging three blocks, three hits, a takeaway, and four giveaways. As you may have guessed, the RHD has spent most of his time in the AHL, where he displays a high-end, two-way game.
This indicates that the Buffalo Sabres could try to develop Priskie into a low-end, two-way player at the NHL level. But not before he continues to develop his game in the AHL, where he has 121 games of experience and 73 total points, 19 goals, and 54 assists. In terms of 2022-23, expect Priskie to spend the entire season in the AHL.
Jeremy Davies
Davies will turn 26 in December, and he has shown himself to be a hitter at the NHL level. He won’t score you many goals, but 16 hits in 22 career games despite limited ice time shows some potential. Like Priskie and Clague, Davies has struggled with giveaways, committing 14 of them throughout his NHL career.
And since the Buffalo Sabres are all but set on the defensive rotation, with Clague being the clear-cut favorite to ascend to the NHL in this trio of new defensemen, expect Davies to remain in Rochester for most if not all season.
He does have the ability to take on a Casey Fitzgerald type of role with the Amerks, given both his bodybuild (5’11, 180lb), and the fact that he has proven himself capable of putting up points. Just last season, Davies logged 31 to go with six goals and 25 assists in 54 outings.
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Overall, do not expect big things from this trio of defensemen. However, each have performed well on the AHL circuit and they provide remarkable insurance in the event the defensive rotation gets hit with injuries. Especially Clague.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and Hockey DB)