Sabres sign defenseman Viktor Antipin to 1-year deal
Newly-minted Sabres general manager Jason Botterill hasn't wasted any time making a much-needed addition to his blue line, signing 24-year-old defenseman Viktor Antipin to a one-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.
Antipin spent 2016-17 with Magnitogorsk Metallurg in the KHL, recording six goals and 18 assists in 59 games while averaging 21:58 of ice time per game. He upped his play during his team's run to the KHL finals, scoring seven times with four helpers in 18 playoff games, logging over 24 minutes per night. He was awarded a golden helmet (given to playoff All-Stars) for his postseason play.
"Viktor is a well-rounded defenseman who has played in all situations at the pro level," Botterill said in a statement released by the team. "His mobility and puck-moving skills make him a perfect match for what we're hoping to build with our defense corps next season."
Antipin will be joining a D-core in serious need of reinforcements. Rasmus Ristolainen is a true No. 1 defenseman, but after him, the projected depth chart is pretty bleak:
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Jake McCabe | Rasmus Ristolainen |
| Josh Gorges | Zach Bogosian |
| Viktor Antipin | ??? |
Obviously McCabe isn't fit to play on a top pair, nor is Gorges capable of being a top-four defenseman anymore, so Botterill still has plenty of work to do, given that Dmitry Kulikov and Cody Franson are both pending unrestricted free agents. Nonetheless, the acquisition of the 5-foot-11 Antipin is a step in the right direction.