Brett Murray spent the past six seasons as a member of the AHL's Rochester Americans, making him the team's longest-tenured player, and the forward got called up for 26 appearances with the Buffalo Sabres over that span. His time with the organization has come to an end, though.
Murray's agent, Dave Gagner, told Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald this week that Sabres associate general manager Jason Karmanos, who's also tasked with leading the Amerks' front office, informed him the franchise isn't going to re-sign the winger, who's currently an unrestricted free agent.
The 27-year-old Canadian earned his first AHL All-Star Game selection last season amid a campaign where he tallied 49 points (27 goals and 22 assists) in 66 AHL games.
Murray's history in the Sabres organization
Buffalo selected the 6'5'', 228-pound Ontario native in the fourth round of the 2016 NHL draft. He followed a pretty unique development path, splitting the next couple years between the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms and Penn State in NCAA college hockey.
Murray put together a breakout 2018-19 campaign with the Phantoms as he tallied 76 points (41 goals and 35 helpers) in 62 games. It earned him a contract from the Sabres to play for the Amerks beginning with the 2019-20 season.
The left winger was a steady producer in Rochester. He accumulated 100 goals and 106 assists across 325 regular-season contests for the Americans. He added eight goals and nine assists in 34 playoff games for the team.
Murray never found much success during his occasional NHL call-up opportunities, though. He scored just six points (two goals and four apples) in 26 games with the Blue and Gold.
Who will replace Murray in the Amerks' lineup?
The Sabres have a lot of prospects ready to take on bigger role in Rochester while awaiting for chances to join the Buffalo lineup. The group includes multiple wingers ready to take on more minutes following Murray's departure, led by Isak Rosen and Noah Ostlund.
Meanwhile, Buffalo also added some veterans early in free agency to ensure there's still some leadership options in the Amerks' dressing room. Carson Meyer and Jake Leschyshyn were among the forwards in those new arrivals.
So, while Murray held down a key role for an extended period of time, this isn't a situation where the Americans should suffer a significant drop off because of his departure. The highly touted prospects being given more responsibility is ideal for their long-term development, too.
Rochester is scheduled to open the 2025-26 season Oct. 10 when it hosts the Toronto Marlies at Blue Cross Arena.