Why Buffalo Sabres should (and shouldn’t) keep Riley Stillman in 2023

Riley Stillman came to the Buffalo Sabres via trade in early 2023, but as things stand in the defensive rotation, he could be an odd man out.

The Buffalo Sabres have four defensemen vying for at least two, if not three roster spots in 2023-24, in Riley Stillman, Henri Jokiharju, Ilya Lyubushkin, and Jacob Bryson. Of the four, Jokiharju and Lyubushkin will likely be the sixth and seventh men, respectively, but if the Sabres go with eight defensemen and 13 forwards, it opens the door for one more player.

Riley Stillman, acquired in a trade last season for prospect Josh Bloom, is the likelier of the two remaining candidates to secure the final spot should it be there because of his physical style and since general manager Kevyn Adams gave up a promising prospect to bring him in, as opposed to Bryson. However, Stillman logged just 12:03 of average total ice time and he often didn’t play well when given the chance.

Update: The Sabres have since traded Lyubushkin to the Anaheim Ducks on August 18th. 

Why the Buffalo Sabres should keep Riley Stillman

You don’t flip a former third round pick still coming into their own for a player and give up on them after just 18 games, or at least you ordinarily don’t, nor should you. Stillman has also never seen stability in this league, so perhaps if he gets that, he can finally get used to a specific system and generate positive returns.

You also can’t deny Stillman’s overall physicality, and that was something the Blue and Gold needed when Kevyn Adams traded for him. This isn’t to say if the Sabres keep Stillman to play him often – 25-30 games vs. the NHL’s most physical opponents would suffice, but it’s clear Stillman has a niche on this hockey team.

Why the Sabres shouldn’t keep Stillman

It’s clear that Stillman struggled since he came to the Sabres, and in a season when you are expecting the playoffs, you need a team whose players can best help you get there. Stillman didn’t show us he was that kind of player last season, evidenced by his limited ice time.

Further, there is less financial incentive to keep Stillman, as his $1.35 million AAV wouldn’t penalize the Sabres much if he cleared waivers and they assigned him to Rochester. By contrast, Jacob Bryson is sitting at $1.85 million, Henri Jokiharju at $2.5 million, and Ilya Lyubushkin at $2.75 million.

What will the Sabres likely do?

Despite Stillman’s struggles, the Buffalo Sabres are likely keeping him on the main roster if they retain eight blueliners. If they only keep seven, Stillman will likely get waived and assigned to Rochester if no one claims him.

But with the Sabres current roster full of defensemen on one-way contracts, you can’t help but think at the moment that they will roll with eight of them this year. So if that proclamation proves to be correct when the season opens in just under two months, look for Stillman to be the eighth man.

Source: How the Sabres might solve their surplus on defense before the season begins by Lance Lysowski, Buffalo News

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference, salary info provided by Cap Friendly)