Will Buffalo Sabres cast-offs help turn around Amerks pedestrian season?
By Sion Fawkes
Eric Comrie became the latest Buffalo Sabres cast-off to find himself on waivers, only to clear them and revert to the Rochester Americans. Comrie joins the likes of Jacob Bryson and Tyson Jost as the latest NHL cast-offs on an Amerks team that is now full of young and seasoned veteran talent.
Before the 2023-24 season began, Riley Stillman was the odd man out in the Sabres defensive rotation, making him the first veteran to revert to the Amerks. In 27 games this season, Stillman has just three points, but he’s still putting on his usual physical performances, something that should continue throughout the year.
Jacob Bryson was a healthy scratch for most of the Sabres 2023-24 season, and he has one point in six contests and a plus-1 rating. Like Stillman, Bryson isn’t a scorer, but he is a tremendous skater who should find himself helping in the transition game.
Buffalo Sabres cast-offs should help turn around Amerks
Tyson Jost found himself the odd man out after the Sabres traded for Eric Robinson and subsequently started getting healthier. This left general manager Kevyn Adams with no choice but to waive Jost, where he would be reassigned to Rochester.
In just two appearances with the Amerks this season, Jost already has three points and two goals. Players like Jost should thrive at the minor league level, and we may not have seen the last of him in a Buffalo Sabres uniform should injuries again strike the Blue and Gold.
Finally, there is Eric Comrie, who once upon a time made a living in the AHL. Last season, Comrie ended up in Rochester on a reconditioning assignment, where he finished 1-2-0 with a 3.03 GAA and a save percentage of 0.898.
However, he last saw extended playing time in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose in 2019-20. During that time, he finished with a shutout, a 0.918 save percentage, plus a 2.51 GAA, despite posting just a 6-9-0 record.
Given the experience that all of the above players possess, it’s not farfetched to believe they can help turn the Rochester Americans season around. And once the Amerks get their leading scorer back in Jiri Kulich, they might be fun to watch.
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(Statistics provided by theAHL.com and Elite Prospects)