The Buffalo Sabres are going with a mix of youth and experience for tonight’s preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Players like Dylan Cozens, Peyton Krebs, and Jack Quinn are all in the lineup, but so are Zemgus Girgensons and Alex Tuch. Another veteran name that will be joining the group is minor league forward Sean Malone, who has been recalled to appear in tonight’s match after being cut earlier this month.
Malone, 27, has spent nearly his entire professional career with the hometown organization, as the Buffalo native was drafted by the Sabres in 2013 and has played parts of five seasons with the club. In 2020-21 he tried to go a different way by joining the Nashville Predators but after seeing just a single NHL appearance with them, came back to play for Rochester in 2021-22.
It’s good that he did, as the Americans enjoyed a 20-goal, 37-point campaign from Malone, in just 39 regular season appearances. He was good in the playoffs too with seven points in ten games, and should be a leader for the club this season. While he likely won’t play much in the NHL, getting him into a preseason match is a nice reward for the minor league star, and will get him used to the group in case he needs to fill in at any point this year.
Malone will likely be sent back to the minors in the coming days, as this is Buffalo’s final preseason match.