The Sabres recalled defenseman Jacob Bryson from AHL Rochester on Monday morning, per the team’s public relations department. The 26-year-old joined Buffalo for practice this morning and will travel with them to California on their road trip, which takes them up to the All-Star break (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald).
Bryson has been papered up and down frequently over the last few days as the team grapples with an injury to veteran Erik Johnson on the back end. The 35-year-old missed Saturday’s loss to the Lightning after taking a hit from behind from Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev late last week and was not on the ice for practice today. As such, the Sabres needed to bring a defenseman up from Rochester to give them an injury fill-in option if an additional blue-liner is sidelined during their California trip.
It’s been a difficult season for the 26-year-old Bryson. He’s played sparingly for the Sabres, making three appearances (none since November 4) and passing through waivers unclaimed in December. The 2017 fourth-round pick is in the latter half of a two-year, $3.7MM deal ($1.85MM AAV) and is unlikely to receive a qualifying offer before his deal expires in the summer. He has three assists and a +5 rating in 10 games with Rochester this season, his first minor-league stint in three years.