Ranking the Buffalo Sabres defensemen from 2022-23
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres defensive rotation struggled in 2022-23, but some good also came from the group, especially with the young guys. Here is how they rank.
The Buffalo Sabres need to improve defensively for 2023-24 if they plan on snapping what will be a near-13-year playoff drought. They do have some pieces, however, that will stick with the team for quite some time, like Owen Power, Rasmus Dahlin, and Mattias Samuelsson.
Problem is, three of the other spots are up for grabs. Ilya Lyubushkin plays well when healthy, but when banged up, he’s less than pedestrian. Henri Jokiharju and Jacob Bryson were disappointments, while Kale Clague and Riley Stillman were serviceable for a couple of players who are, at most, part-time NHL starters.
For a snapshot on all eight primary defensemen, check out my player grades, which provides a quick overview of how each player performed this past season, plus a projection of whether they will return next year. For a more in-depth look at each player and an idea of where they rank in the hierarchy, keep reading.
How do the Buffalo Sabres defensemen rank from 2022-23?
8 – Jacob Bryson
I was excited for Jacob Bryson to improve this season to the point he could have eventually comprised a young pairing with Owen Power if it wasn’t there with Henri Jokiharju. Instead, Bryson probably shouldn’t even come back following that debacle of a season where about the only thing he did well involved his 69 blocks.
His average total ice time dropped by nearly four minutes, and he played in just 59 of 82 games this season, often seeing the press box later in the year thanks to poor performances. Bryson finished with a team-worst -24.
Who was the second-worst defensemen in that category? Henri Jokiharju, who rounded out the year at -12.
7- Riley Stillman
We only saw Riley Stillman play in 18 games, so to a degree, his lower ranking partially comes from a smaller sample size. He averaged just 12:03 of ice time per game, but he also snagged 29 hits, many of which I’d rather not be on the receiving end of, so his play brimmed with physicality.
However, it’s hard to ignore that opponents logged a ridiculous 14.1% shooting percentage when he was on the ice at even strength and 5 on 5, meaning the on-ice save percentage sat at just 85.9%. Ideally, Stillman is an extra skater heading into 2023-24, someone you put in against a physical opponent.