Henri Jokiharju
Henri Jokiharju had his moments, and he displayed great recovery speed at times. But he was often caught out of position and never found consistency this season. He wasn’t terrible, but his pedestrian play caught the attention of many in Buffalo Sabres circles. Grade: C-
Ilya Lyubushkin
Ilya Lyubushkin was quietly one of the Sabres most effective blueliners when he was 100%. But the injury-prone defenseman struggled at times. Despite this, he still logged 104 blocks in 68 games and 99 hits. Even more impressive? He committed just 20 giveaways and Buffalo’s on-ice save percentage sat at 91.6% at 5-on-5. Grade: B
Riley Stillman
Riley Stillman arrived in a trade, so his sample size is rather small. He had 29 hits in 18 games, and quickly established himself as a physical presence for a team that lacked one. Stillman’s Corsi and Fenwick For% stuck out more than anything else, sitting at 58.0% and 57.0%, respectively, at 5-on-5. Despite this, he wasn’t much help in the defensive zone, and he was responsible for more than a few goals, as the team’s on-ice save percentage was a meager 85.9% with him on the ice. Grade: C+