How Sabres Line of Malenstyn, Lafferty, Aube-Kubel Compares Across NHL

When the Buffalo Sabres decided to revamp their fourth line, there was a clear focus on speed and physicality. The additions of Beck Malenstyn, Sam Lafferty, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel put those attributes on full display Saturday during Buffalo’s first preseason game. The trio was on top of Pittsburgh Penguins defenders all night and produced the Sabres’ fifth goal of the game.

On paper, the combination of what Malenstyn, Lafferty, and Aube-Kubel bring seems like a great fit. Diving into the data, the chemistry looks even stronger. So much so, in fact, that Buffalo’s new fourth line has a chance to be one of the most effective in the entire NHL.

Let’s get into some of the top attributes of the line, and how it compares to some of last season’s most effective fourth lines.

More Line Analysis: How Peterka, Thompson, Tuch Compare to Other NHL Top Lines

Speed

Imagine a race between every player on the Sabres’ roster. Who would win?

Ryan McLeod would likely be the odds-on favorite, since his number of bursts over 20 miles per hour ranked in the 99th percentile across the league last season.

Right behind him though would likely be Malentsyn, Aube-Kubel, and Lafferty, in that order. Their max speeds registered in the 97th, 94th, and 93rd percentiles.

Malenstyn also ranked in the 97th percentile in bursts over 20 miles per hour. Aside from him and McLeod, only JJ Peterka was ahead of Lafferty and Aube-Kubel in that category on the team. Peterka was in the 94th percentile, while Lafferty and Aube-Kubel were in the 93rd and 92nd, respectively.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a faster line in the league. Combine that with their willingness to get on the forecheck, and the three should give opposing defenders fits all season.

Related: Evaluating Newest Sabres Forward Ryan McLeod

Physicality

Malenstyn, Lafferty, and Aube-Kubel bring the desired physicality compared to some of last year’s better fourth lines. They’re not over-aggressive physically in the sense of taking too many penalties. They initiate and welcome contact though, ranking in the 88th percentile in hits for and 93rd in hits against.

The 10 teams’ fourth lines from last season used in this comparison are:

• New York Rangers (Jimmy Vesey – Barclay Goodrow – Matt Rempe)
• Florida Panthers (Ryan Lomberg – Kevin Stenlund – Kyle Okposo)
• Edmonton Oilers (Mattias Janmark – Derek Ryan – Connor Brown)
• Toronto Maple Leafs (Connor Dewar – David Kampf – Ryan Reaves)
• New York Islanders (Matt Martin – Casey Cizikas – Cal Clutterbuck)
• Boston Bruins (Patrick Maroon – John Beecher – Jesper Boqvist)
• Philadelphia Flyers (Ryan Poehling – Noah Cates – Garnet Hathaway)
• Seattle Kraken (Tye Kartye – Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare – Brandon Tanev)
• Dallas Stars (Sam Steel – Radek Faksa – Craig Smith)
• Vegas Golden Knights (William Carrier – Nicolas Roy – Keegan Kolesar)

The Sabres trio is much more physical than those combinations on average, as the ten other fourth lines ranked in the 64th percentile in hits for and 68th percentile in hits against.

Only the Islanders’ Martin, Cizikas, and Clutterbuck out-hit Malenstyn, Lafferty, and Aube-Kubel, as they landed in the 89th percentile as a line. The difference between the two lines, however, is that Buffalo’s three were more disciplined and much better at drawing penalties.

The Sabres boast an impressive balance of providing a spark on the ice without doing something dumb that costs the team.

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Focus on Defense

Not surprisingly, fourth lines across the league do not produce much offense compared to the rest of the forward group. This is evidenced by the scope of the 10 lines we’re comparing Malenstyn, Lafferty, and Aube-Kubel to.

Of all the forwards included, only Nicolas Roy, Patrick Maroon, and Jesper Boqvist had a higher offensive WAR than Lafferty per Evolving-Hockey. For those unfamiliar, WAR stands for wins above replacement, showing what a player adds to the lineup over someone on the fringe of the NHL.

Only two players, Maroon and Ryan Poehling, are profiled as “Offensive”. The remainder of the forwards are considered “Two-Way” or “Defensive”.

Malenstyn barely falls into the “Two-Way” category, with a heavy defensive-minded lean. Lafferty and Aube-Kubel are generally defense-first players, according to their WAR, shot, and shot-quality metrics.

Despite being considered defensive-minded, the Sabres’ trio landed in the 40th percentile in the entire NHL in offensive WAR. That’s well above the 10-line comparison’s average of the 20th percentile.

Lafferty’s goal in the first preseason game showed the quality rush offense the speedy line can provide. Malenstyn read the play in the neutral zone and hit the jets to get in alone on the goaltender. Aube-Kubel fed him a nice backhand pass in transition to hit him in stride, and Lafferty fought off the defender and broke to the net to finish the rebound.

(Fast-forward the following post on X to the 2:47 mark to view the goal.)

All 7 goals from last night's Buffalo vs Penguins game. #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/8z0ZhbVuiv

— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) September 22, 2024

Shooting Mentality

We know the speed of Malenstyn, Lafferty, and Aube-Kubel can create rush offense, but what happens when the line gets established in the offensive zone?

Some great individual attributes are in play with the physical forwards that complement each other well. Lafferty, for one, is an elite finisher. His shooting percentage ranks in the 93rd percentile of all forwards. He’s also in the 72nd percentile in goals per 60 minutes played, showing he can score in limited minutes with lesser talent.

Malenstyn and Aube-Kubel can be defined as “lesser talent” when considering the scope of the league, but they have playmaking ability that drives up their team’s shooting percentage. Considering Lafferty’s already near the top of the league in shooting percentage, that can be a lethal combination.

Only Boston’s Patrick Maroon, John Beecher, and Jesper Boqvist posted better point-production rates of the 10 fourth lines from last season. Given that Lafferty is a better finisher than Nic Dowd, who Malenstyn and Aube-Kubel played with in Washington last season, the Sabres might have a hidden gem of goal support coming their way.

More Lafferty: Surprise Sabres Player Who Could Score 20 Goals This Season

Play Driving

Malenstyn and Aube-Kubel were deployed heavily in the defensive zone by the Capitals’ coaching staff. Their line was first in the entire NHL in defense zone faceoffs and starts per 60 minutes played. Lafferty, meanwhile, started fairly evenly in the offensive and defensive zones on the Vancouver Canucks.

Malenstyn spent only 46% of his ice time in the defensive zone at even-strength, proving he handled that deployment well. Aube-Kubel spent even less time in the defensive zone, at 45%.

Lafferty spent only 41%, but considering he was much more sheltered, it’s less impressive.

As a line, the Sabres trio outpace the average from the 10 fourth lines in driving play into the offensive zone. Philadelphia’s Ryan Poehling, Noah Cates, and Garnet Hathaway generate more shots and shot quality while limiting opponents in those categories and are the best of the group. The Rangers, Kraken, Bruins, and Panthers also edged out the new Buffalo fourth line in that department, but the Sabres are in good company.

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Summary

To summarize, Beck Malenstyn, Sam Lafferty, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel not only possess traits that hint at solid chemistry but also have numbers that put them up as perhaps the best fourth line in the NHL.

They’re likely the fastest line in the NHL and are more physical than other top fourth lines. Despite their defensive-minded profile, the Sabres trio is one of the most offensively adept fourth lines. The mix of Malenstyn and Aube-Kubel’s playmaking with Lafferty’s ability to score fits together nicely, and the three forwards drive play about as well as you can expect.

The Sabres not have only successfully found an identity line, but formed one of the most dangerous trios across the bottom of any NHL lineup.