Michigan State's standout defenseman Maxim Strbak officially inks his first NHL deal, bringing his winning legacy and defensive prowess to the surging Buffalo Sabres.
As expected, the Michigan State Spartans hockey team is losing players left and right. When you’re as good as the Spartans were this season, it’s inevitable that the NHL clubs holding the rights to many of your players are going to come calling. And not many players are going to turn down the chance to sign an entry-level contract.
Next up for Michigan State is standout defenseman Maxim Strbak, who has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Strbak was selected in the second round, 45th overall, by Buffalo in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Over the last three years, the Spartans have greatly benefited from having Strbak on the blue line. He appeared in 102 games for Michigan State and became one of the most reliable and steady defensemen on the roster during his time in East Lansing.
He finished his junior season at +20, which ranked tied for fourth on the team. Strbak also finished third on the Spartans with 38 blocked shots, further showing the kind of dependable, hard-nosed presence he brought to the defensive end.
Offensively, Strbak also found ways to contribute throughout his career in the green and white. He totaled eight goals and 38 assists during his time as a Spartan, finishing with 46 career points.
More than just the numbers, though, Strbak made a real impact on the program. He helped Michigan State grow back into a national contender and played a key role in returning the Spartans to the top of the college hockey world. Alongside many other key players, Strbak had his fingerprints all over the resurgence of the Green and White.
And when it comes to winning, there’s no denying what he helped build.
Strbak won the Big Ten Championship in all three seasons he played at Michigan State, leaving East Lansing with not only impressive individual numbers, but also a winning legacy that helped redefine the standard for Spartan hockey.
On the international stage, Strbak has also represented his home country of Slovakia for the last four seasons at the IIHF World Junior U-20 Championships, where he served as an alternate captain. In this year’s tournament, Strbak recorded six points — one goal and five assists — while continuing to show the leadership and poise that have made him such a respected player.
Strbak is a 20-year-old, right-handed defenseman who will turn 21 on April 13. He is expected to join the Rochester Americans of the AHL for the remainder of the season, beginning the next chapter of what many believe could be a long professional career.
And he’s joining an organization that suddenly looks like it knows how to win.
Buffalo has been surging this season, coming out of nowhere to break through in a big way. The Sabres became the first team in the Eastern Conference to reach 100 points this season and, as of this writing, sit atop the Atlantic Division. Whenever Strbak eventually makes his way to Buffalo — whether that’s later this year or down the road — he’ll be stepping into a team that appears to be building something real.
For a franchise that has spent years trying to claw its way back into relevance, players like Strbak are exactly the type of pieces you want to add to the mix.
The Sabres knew they were drafting a defensive stud when they selected Strbak in 2023, and they also made the smart decision to let him continue developing under Michigan State head coach Adam Nightingale and the rest of the staff in East Lansing.
Playing alongside some of the best talent college hockey has to offer, you could see Strbak’s confidence, physicality, and hockey IQ grow year after year. He became more polished, more assertive, and more complete with every season.
As one member of the Sabres organization recently put it, Strbak brings exactly the kind of game NHL teams covet.
“He’s a hard-to-play-against, shutdown defender, can skate really well. He’s very physical and that’s what we love about him.” Sabres development coach Tim Kennedy said.
That sounds about right.
Strbak looks more than ready for the next step, and when his NHL opportunity comes, he should be well prepared to take full advantage of it. Spartan fans can’t wait to watch him go make noise at the next level.
But no matter what comes next, Michigan State fans will always remember Maxim Strbak as a Spartan — and a damn good one at that.