Did the Buffalo Sabres reveal their defensive pairings for 2022?
Preseason is often a time for experimenting with different lineups. But the Buffalo Sabres saw some familiar pairings on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the projected top pairing of Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson took the ice and predictably, the duo looked dynamic. This was the case in the final eight games of 2021-22. Ditto for the Owen Power-Henri Jokiharju pairing. It is highly likely we will see the aforementioned defensemen as the Buffalo Sabres top four moving forward – moving forward as in, the next five to seven seasons.
There was, however, a new, interesting pairing last night with Lawrence Pilut and Ilya Lyubushkin. Pilut had zero points, but he showed off a perpetual eye for the puck and was in on virtually every play. Lyubushkin displayed his aggressive nature, but also drove the puck deep into the offensive zone a few times and logged an assist.
Lyubushkin, Pilut the Buffalo Sabres third pairing?
Plus-minus is neither a good or bad stat, but a controversial one. However you view it, Pilut and Lyubushkin ended the game as the only two defensemen on the Buffalo Sabres in the (+1) category.
The two also played an effective game, rarely seen out of position. They also looked good on the penalty kill, with Lyubushkin snagging more PK time than any other on the Sabres defensive rotation.
My previous projections had Jacob Bryson serving as the sixth man, with either Casey Fitzgerald or Pilut entering the season as the extra skater. It is safe to say Lyubushkin will find himself on one of the three pairings, and perhaps even teaming with Pilut.
Pilut, who spent the previous two seasons in Russia, returned to the Sabres organization and has so far enjoyed an impressive camp and preseason. In the Sabres 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals, Pilut logged two assists, one hit, one block, and 22:33 of total ice time, the most of any Sabres defenseman.
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Jacob Bryson will play in tonight’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, as will Casey Fitzgerald. If two of the Sabres regulars from 2021-22 make their presence felt, they may manage to disrupt what could be a future pairing comprising Ilya Lyubushkin and Lawrence Pilut. It will be tough, however, to break apart what will most likely be the top four heading into the season, with Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson leading the charge.
Article Source: Observations: Linus Weissbach impresses on top line, Sabres beat Flyers 2-1by Lance Lysowski