According to a team announcement, the Buffalo Sabres have recalled forwards Joshua Dunne and Isak Rosen from their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Since there’s no longer a roster limit since the trade deadline has passed, the Sabres weren’t required to make a corresponding roster move.
Dunne is in his first season with the Sabres organization after spending the last four in the Columbus Blue Jackets’. The 26-year-old product of Clarkson University is a veteran of 14 games at the NHL level, all with the Blue Jackets, from 2021 to 2023.
In AHL Rochester and with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, Dunne has carved out a role as a solid middle-six forward with some physicality to his game. He won’t threaten to lead any team in scoring at the game’s highest minor league level, but he’s only two years removed from scoring 20 goals and 37 points in 65 games for the Monsters. He has eight goals and 16 assists in 54 contests for the Americans.
Meanwhile, Rosen is one of Buffalo’s top forward prospects, being four years removed from being the 14th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft. Unlike Dunne, Rosen has quickly become a capable top-six scorer at the AHL level since transitioning to North American professional hockey in 2022-23.
Since becoming a full-time player in Rochester three years ago, Rosen has scored 60 goals and 137 points in 184 games, with another six goals and four assists in 19 postseason contests. It wouldn’t be his first NHL game should he factor into the Sabres’ lineup tonight against the Florida Panthers, but a goal or assist would become his first NHL point.