Josh Dunne’s time in the minors was short-lived. After being sent back down earlier this week, the Sabres announced that they’ve recalled the winger from AHL Rochester.
The move comes on the heels of center Tyson Kozak suffering a lower-body injury on Friday against Toronto. While Kozak was still being evaluated after the game, it’s clear that he will be out for at least a week as Buffalo has placed him on injured reserve, per the NHL’s media site.
Dunne has played in two games with the Sabres this month, albeit in a very limited role as he’s averaging just 6:30 per outing while failing to register a shot on goal or a point. The 26-year-old has 19 career contests at the top level, split between Buffalo and Columbus. He was on Buffalo’s roster for nearly two weeks earlier this month and technically has spent more days with them than with Rochester since the season started. Dunne played in last night’s game with the Americans, making him eligible to be recalled once again.
As for Kozak, the 22-year-old had locked down a regular spot on Buffalo’s fourth line in the early going this season, in part thanks to being waiver-eligible for the first time. He had done relatively well, picking up a pair of goals while chipping in with 19 hits in just under 10 minutes a night of playing time and will likely return to that role whenever he’s cleared to return.