Now that Rasmus Ristolainen has served his three game suspension, the Buffalo Sabres will send defenseman Brady Austin back to the Rochester Americans. Ristolainen will be back in the lineup for Buffalo’s match up against the New York Islanders on Sunday afternoon, as the Sabres try to claw their way out of the bottom of the standings and see this season as a step in the right direction.
Austin has played in the last five games for the Sabres, making his NHL debut on March 20th, but has been held scoreless thus far. A seventh-round pick in 2012, he has developed into a steady physical presence and one that can fill in occasionally at the NHL level. Just 23, he’s come a long way from his OHL days, and will continue to try and develop into a penalty kill specialist.
With Ristolainen back, the Sabres are basically at full strength for one of the few times this season. They’ve dealt with injuries to both key (Jack Eichel) and role (Dmitry Kulikov) players throughout the year, as almost everyone has taken a turn on the injured reserve. As they finish their season and head into the summer, they can be encouraged by the play that Eichel has given them down the stretch, and excited about what a full season might bring next year. Look for them to be players in the defensive market, to try and stabilize what has still been a below average group.