Defenseman returns to Buffalo after two years in the KHL.
The Buffalo Sabres picked up a key defensive depth piece on Friday, signing Lawrence Pilut to a one-year contract worth $750,000.
The two-way contract helps bolster the Rochester Americans defense while giving the Sabres a nice boost. Pilut should have the opportunity to compete for a spot in Buffalo – it’ll probably be him & Jacob Bryson fighting for the seventh spot, but even if he begins the year in Rochester, there’s plenty to look forward to.
Pilot’s return to Buffalo is one that has been talked about a lot recently. The 26-year-old spent the last two seasons overseas in the KHL with Chelyabinsk Traktor, where he appeared in 97 games and put up 39 points.
Per GM Kevyn Adams, the Sabres were certainly interested in bringing Pilut back, but needed to wait to formalize the signing until they made sure the termination paperwork from the KHL contract was accurate and all loose ends were tied up.
Pilut spent two seasons with the Sabres between 2018 and 2020, splitting both years between Buffalo and Rochester. In 67 AHL games, he scored 10 goals and added 39 assists. He also appeared in 46 NHL games and had six points and 24 PIMs.
Looking back, here’s his 2019 season review with the Amerks:
Leave a Reply