Mark Pysyk
Position: Defense
Age: 23
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 192 lbs.
2014-15 team: Rochester/Buffalo
Acquired: Drafted in the 1st round (23rd overall) in the 2010 draft
Last year’s ranking: 7
He’s young, steady, smart and sound. It’s hard to not love what Mark Pysyk brings to the table. Two years ago he was likely the Sabres second best defenseman, behind only Christian Ehrhoff. Yet, he spent most of the year in Rochester. Out of all the clear tanking moves Tim Murray and the Sabres made this year, stashing Pysyk is probably the most obvious. Now that the Sabres goals have changed, the Sabres will be using him in key situations.
Pysyk will never lead the team in scoring, but he has been a pretty sound defensive presence ever since going pro. The former first-round pick has been a pro for three years now, with his longest stint coming in 2013-14. He only appeared in seven games with Buffalo this yer, but scored a career high two goals in that short span. In his 54 games with Rochester he had three goals and 14 assists.
It’s tough to write too much about Pysyk, because it feels like we all know what he is now. He’s a strong second pair defenseman who should be a part of the team’s core for the long haul. However, he is still young, and it is smart to not put too much pressure on him in his first full season with the team.