The Winnipeg Jets might be looking for defensive depth and one name that Elliotte Friedman is throwing out there is Buffalo Sabres defenceman Viktor Antipin who played for Paul Maurice when both were in the KHL.
Couple other quick notes: if WIN looks for a depth LD, one possibility is Viktor Antipin from BUF. He played for Paul Maurice in KHL…also FLA, which snared a huge win tonight, showing serious interest in Ryan McDonagh from NYR.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 25, 2018
Antipin seems to be an okay player, but it is hard to judge a player on the Sabres as they have been so bad for so long. It seems like Antipin is good at helping on offence and is okay defensively. He would be a solid defensive add to the bottom pair. There is no HERO chart to compare him to Ben Chiarot with as he has only been in the NHL this season.
Like I said, it is hard to say if he is helping the Sabres or not. However, he would probably come cheaply and his his contract is $925 000 for the season with him becoming a RFA on July 1. If the Jets decide to trade for a defender, acquiring someone like Antipin would be low-risk and would allow them to send Tucker Poolman to the AHL.
