Ilya Lyubushkin made a name for himself as a physical player, and that trend continued last season with the Buffalo Sabres. Can he repeat?
Most of the defensemen we have covered so far in our 2023-24 Player Outlook Series may or may not sneak onto the Buffalo Sabres roster, and Ilya Lyubushkin is no exception. But if the Blue and Gold want to be as aggressive as possible this season in the defensive rotation, then Lyubushkin’s odds of making it back onto the team are high.
While he often played injured in 2022-23, Lyubushkin still logged 68 games, 104 blocks, and 99 hits. And while his number of hits was a far cry from the 187 he recorded in 2021-22, he did set a career high in takeaways by a landslide, securing 27 and nearly doubling his previous high of 15.
Lyubushkin’s 104 blocks were also second on the team next to only Rasmus Dahlin, who snagged 132, and his 99 hits ranked third. While the Sabres were in the defensive zone more often than not when Lyubushkin was on the ice, they also logged an on-ice save percentage of 91.1% at even strength and 91.6% at 5-on-5.
Does Ilya Lyubushkin have a spot on the Buffalo Sabres for 2023-24?
There is no doubt Lyubushkin will be a strong contender for a spot in the Blue and Gold’s lineup for 2023-24. While Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton will bump him back to the role as a sixth defenseman in a best-case scenario, don’t be surprised if Lyubushkin winds up as the team’s extra skater in the unit.
Lyubushkin would be a much better option than Jacob Bryson, and Riley Stillman, another physical blueliner who will serve as his primary competition in camp this season. But as it stands, Lyubushkin is a better option than Stillman, and if I had to choose a winner in camp at the moment, it would go to Lyubushkin by a wide margin.
Overall, I can see him playing between 40 and 50 games this season if he’s indeed part of the Blue and Goal’s lineup, most likely rotating in when the Buffalo Sabres are playing against more physical hockey teams. Given the influx of incoming blueliners in Rochester like Ryan Johnson and Nikita Novikov, however, 2023-24 may serve as Lyubushkin’s final season in a Sabres uniform if one of the two aforementioned prospects appears NHL-ready by 2024-25.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)