The Buffalo Sabres started to alleviate their logjam on defense, trading Ilya Lyubushkin to the Anaheim Ducks for a fourth-round pick in 2025.
The Buffalo Sabres started to alleviate their logjam on defense Friday night, trading Ilya Lyubushkin to the Anaheim Ducks for a fourth-round pick in 2025.
Buffalo had nine defensemen on one-way contracts after signing Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton as free agents last month. Both are right shots, like Lyubushkin.
At the time, general manager Kevyn Adams said he’d be comfortable going into training camp with the surplus as it was, citing the importance of depth, but also noted he was open to making a move.
“The league is well aware of who we have, and what we will listen to and not listen to. So we’ll see how it goes,” he said on July 2.
Lyubushkin, 29, has one year remaining on a two-year, $5.5 million contract ($2.75 million average annual value) he signed with the Sabres last summer as a free agent. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Russian provided a physical presence on the back end while recording an NHL career-high 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in 68 games last season.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqtL9gYazRE[/embed]