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Buffalo Sabres: Ranking the top five defensemen in Rochester

By Sion Fawkes

Dec 7, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kale Clague (43) reacts after a goal scored by Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon (not pictured) during the first period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kale Clague (43) reacts after a goal scored by Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon (not pictured) during the first period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Buffalo Sabres are deeper at defenseman than you think. Both at the NHL level and the AHL level. So who sits at Number One?

For this article, I am not going to include Owen Power although he is technically still a prospect. However, barring some unforeseen tank job, Power is slated to go full-time with the Buffalo Sabres, and this post only has to do with those with better odds of starting the season with the Rochester Americans.

So who will most likely end up in Buffalo for the 2022-23 NHL Season? Here are my projected lines:

Pairing #1: Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin

Pairing #2: Owen Power – Henri Jokiharju

Pairing #3: Jacob Bryson – Ilya Lyubushkin

Rotational: Casey Fitzgerald

While Fitzgerald can easily end up starting the year in Rochester, I believe his best bet is to remain in Buffalo. Fitzgerald gave the Sabres a physical presence, and chances are he can do the same this season, even with Samuelsson likely to go full-time with Lyubushkin also joining in – two other physical specimens.

So where does that leave the rest in the pecking order over in Rochester? Let’s find out.

Buffalo Sabres
VANCOUVER, BC – JANUARY 5: Oskari Laaksonen #2 of Finland skates with the puck in Gold Medal hockey action of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship against the United States on January, 5, 2019 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

Ranking the top five AHL defensemen for the Buffalo Sabres – Defenseman #5: Oskari Laaksonen

I was a big fan of Laaksonen last season and he played so well that when injuries and COVID hit the Buffalo Sabres, he became part of their taxi squad. Laaksonen has played well on offense since he arrived in Rochester during the 2020-21 AHL Season, appearing in 99 games and putting up 51 points, seven goals, and 44 assists.

Laaksonen, however, did not enjoy preferred status for long, as he saw time in just two of the Americans 10 playoff games, recording an assist in the process. One reason is that Laaksonen’s defensive skills remain null, and heading into his third season, it is make-it-or-break it.

He should be higher on this list, but he isn’t because of the lack of faith the Amerks showed in him over the latter stage of the season. Laaksonen can eventually sneak his way onto an NHL roster, whether it’s in Buffalo or somewhere else. But he needs to hone his defensive skills if he is interested in taking that next step.

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