The Sabres Re-Sign a Buffalo Native

The Buffalo Sabres will soon be busy at work with the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and the start of free agency, which will be on July 13th.

In fact, general manager Kevyn Adams and his staff is likely already hard at work on scouting draft prospects and eyeing potential free agent signings and trade targets. Buffalo holds three first round picks next Thursday, during the first day of the draft. This will be the first year the NHL Draft's first round will be held on a Thursday evening.

But the Sabres were active on Wednesday, re-signing one of their own to a one-year contract.

The Sabres have announced they have re-signed forward Sean Malone to a one-year contract.

Malone had a career year in 2021-2022 for the Rochester Americans, scoring 20 goals in just 39 games played. The 27-year-old center was first drafted by Buffalo in 2013 (159th overall) out of the USHL. Malone played for Harvard before making the leap to the AHL with Rochester.

He spent the 2020-2021 season with the Nashville Predators organization, playing with the Chicago Wolves, but returned to the Amerks last season.

Malone is also a Buffalo native, playing at Nichols from 2010-2012. Malone scored 51 goals and 105 points in 47 games in his final year for Nichols.

Malone is a leader for the Amerks and the door is still open for him to play games with the Sabres in 2022-2023.

Malone will be asked to mentor the new Sabres signings, such as Olivier Nadeau and Aleksander Kisakov, who both signed entry-level contracts in 2022.