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Buffalo Sabres: Breaking down Ilya Lyubushkin’s strengths, weaknesses

By Sion Fawkes

Feb 28, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (46) skates with the puck as Washington Capitals left wing Conor Sheary (73) chases in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (46) skates with the puck as Washington Capitals left wing Conor Sheary (73) chases in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Buffalo Sabres needed experience on the defensive rotation and they found a competitor in Ilya Lyubushkin, who has nine seasons of pro experience.

Well before 2022 NHL free agency began, Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams stated he wanted an experienced defenseman and he got one in Ilya Lyubushkin. Lyubushkin, who will be entering his tenth season in professional hockey (five in the KHL, soon to be five in the NHL), could wind up on the second pairing with Owen Power, although Henri Jokiharju may remain in that role.

During the latter portion of the season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lyubushkin played on both the second and third pairing, but he mainly saw time on the third. Either way, the Sabres are getting quite a big hitter and an enforcer.

So who is Ilya Lyubushkin? What are his strengths and weaknesses? Keep reading to learn more.

Buffalo Sabres
TORONTO, ON – APRIL 29: Ilya Lyubushkin #46 of the Toronto Maple Leafs waits for a faceoff against the Boston Bruins during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 29, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Bruins 5-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Who is new Buffalo Sabres defenseman, Ilya Lyubushkin?

Lyubushkin has played in 211 career NHL games with the Arizona Coyotes and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He doesn’t score points, with just 25 of them (three goals) to his name. This was also the case during his time in the KHL, when Lyubushkin scored just 36 points (12 goals) in 257 career games for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv.

However, where Lyubushkin lacks on offense, he makes up for it defensively. He has logged 591 career hits with the Coyotes and Maple Leafs, with 278 career blocks to go along with it. He also has an enforcer mentality and he will be the hard-hitting presence the Buffalo Sabres lacked in 2021-22 until Mattias Samuelsson and Casey Fitzgerald came along.

Lyubushkin projects as a bit of a hybrid between the two physical defensemen. He hits about as often as Samuelsson, but he isn’t quite the all-out hitter/fighter that Fitzgerald is, with the latter of whom getting into four fights in 36 appearances. By contrast, Lyubushkin fought just once.

So what does Lyubushkin bring to the table? Let’s outline his strengths in further detail.

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