Sabres sign defenseman Victor Antipin to 1-year deal

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Victor Antipin to a one-year, entry-level contract.

New general manager Jason Botterill announced the deal Thursday. The Sabres had been linked to the 24-year-old free agent for some time.

Antipin, a native of Kazakhstan who plays internationally for Russia, spent the past five seasons playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Kontinental Hockey League. He had six goals and 18 assists in 59 regular-season games last season.

Botterill called Antipin a well-rounded defenseman whose ''mobility and puck-moving skills make him a perfect match'' for what the Sabres are hoping to build on their blue line. The undrafted Anitipin follows the path of defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs a year ago and was one of their top defenders.

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