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Ready to be Sabres: Comrie, Lyubushkin excited to join the organization

2 On Your Side's Julianne Pelusi asked Comrie how the culture in Buffalo helped him make his decision.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has consistently preached - bringing in players who want to be here. He'll add two more pieces to that puzzle with free agency signings, goalie Eric Comrie and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin. 

2 On Your Side's Julianne Pelusi asked Comrie how the culture in Buffalo helped him make his decision.

"Just how much Kevyn Adams talks about how much he wants to build a culture around how good the guys are, to make sure he has good people first," Comrie said. 

"That's a big thing for me, just understanding when I come here I know how welcoming the group's going to be, how cohesive everyone's going to be and how much working together toward a greater goal we're gonna be."

Comrie is buying into Kevyn Adams' culture and is Don Granato's type of rink rat.

"Another head coach in the National Hockey League told me we're going to have to kick him off the ice at practice," Granato said on Saturday after the Sabres' development camp.

"For me, I get my confidence from my practice. The more I work, the more effort I put into it, the more preparation I put into things, the more confidence I build because of that," Comrie said.

After a long journey to the NHL, Comrie has only played in 28 NHL games, backing up Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg last season.

Now he's expected to lead a tandem with 41-year-old Craig Anderson in Buffalo.

"Just knowing that Craig Anderson was there and I’ve heard such amazing things about him and how great of a human being he is, how great of a person he is, and just how much knowledge he brings to the game and how much he understands it and how much he helps different players to grow their game and get better was a huge turning point for myself. I just know so many people speak so highly of him and he was such an amazing goaltender," Comrie said.

"Going to Buffalo I feel like I can maybe earn some more starts and maybe work myself into a little more playing time and that was a big decision why I chose the Sabres."

As for Lyubushkin, he watched the Sabres start to thrive while playing for a Toronto team Buffalo beat in three out of four games last season.

He could tell from three-straight late-season Sabres wins over the Maple Leafs, that Buffalo was better than its record showed by the end of the year.

"Against Buffalo, it's the same, always tough. I don't know why but it's always tough for me after each game, I feel like 'Oh my gosh. It's so hard.'"

Credit: AP
Toronto Maple Leafs' Ilya Lyubushkin in action during an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Saturday, April 2, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

Lyubushkin said he chose the Sabres in free agency because of how badly Adams wanted him in Buffalo. The 28-year-old will help guide a very young group of skilled blueliners with his physical style of play.

"I think they help me, I can help them. I can see how they can play good skills. They can see on me how I play physically. We both can teach a little bit to each other," he said.

But he doesn't expect to change his game.

Lyubushkin said, "I like my game. I like my job. I know my role. I know what game I to play to help (the) team. I just enjoy it."

It seems like general manager Kevyn Adams likes it, too.

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