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

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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.

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.

TORONTO, ON – MARCH 23: Ilya Lyubushkin #46 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up prior to playing against the New Jersey Devils in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on March 23, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Devils 3-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Strengths

Lyubushkin will be 28 coming into the season and he already logged single-season career highs in blocks and hits with 92 and 187, respectively. He was only a part-time player when he first entered the league in 2018-19 before he saw more playing time in 2019-20 and beyond, eventually starting 77 games in 2021-22.

He also makes a phenomenal complement to some of the Sabres other prominent defensemen, especially to Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju, Jacob Bryson and Owen Power. Power and Dahlin are two-way defensemen, while Jokiharju and Bryson bring a no-frills approach to their game.

Here is what head coach Don Granato said regarding Lyubushkin:

“He’s, obviously, different in the standpoint he’s more hard-nosed. We can use him in penalty-kill situations. He’s probably more physical than the rest of the group, and I think he’ll push guys in that group to be more physical. And I think our young guys will actually learn to pick up some of his traits. “Anytime you put more talent in your lineup and more experience, they’ll learn from each other. Owen can learn from Dahlin, and Dahlin can pick up some pieces from Owen.” – via Buffalo Hockey Beat.

What jumped out at me is, although Samuelsson and Fitzgerald are known for their physicality, the fact Granato stated Lyubushkin displays perhaps even more physicality. Another thing to remember is that Lyubushkin is already familiar with the Buffalo Sabres, having played against them three times as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and before that, a member of the Arizona Coyotes.

Overall, Lyubushkin’s physicality, experience, and leadership ability are among his most distinguishing traits. Regardless of where he lines up, the physical RHD also filled a legitimate need on the Sabres roster.

COLUMBUS, OH – FEBRUARY 22: Ilya Lyubushkin #26 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates the puck away from Oliver Bjorkstrand #28 of the Columbus Blue Jackets during the game at Nationwide Arena on February 22, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

Weaknesses

Lyubushkin is not a scorer, so he isn’t going to give you more than a handful of points each season. That said, he pairs best with a two-way LHD. It is also going to be tough as to where to place him in the Buffalo Sabres defensive pairings, as he has yet to log 20 minutes of average ice time in a single season.

This implies he is best-suited for the third pairing, although Kevyn Adams was hoping to add an experienced, physical RHD to pair with Owen Power. Lyubushkin can definitely be that guy, but Henri Jokiharju, despite not being as physical, has an inside track to end up pairing with Power for the entire season.

Jokiharju showed in the eight games that Power played in that he can form the second piece of a younger dynamic duo. He also has, from an NHL standpoint, every bit as much experience as Lyubushkin. Therefore, Lyubushkin is not going to be a shoo-in on the second pairing, and he may never be anything more than a staple on the third paring who will average between 15 and 18 minutes per game.

light. More. A way too early prediction for Owen Power

This isn’t a total weakness. But it does show that he may ultimately not be the experienced RHD to pair with Power. Instead, the Buffalo Sabres may have already had them on the roster with the 23-year-old Jokiharju as opposed to the 28-year-old Lyubushkin.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and Hockey DB)

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