Brett Murray

April 2: Rosen was loaned back to Rochester today, the Sabres announced. He appeared in Buffalo’s first three games following last week’s recall but was scratched for their wins in Washington and Ottawa on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively. He managed to get on the scoresheet for the first time in his NHL career, recording an assist in last Thursday’s 7-3 drubbing of the Penguins.

March 25: The Sabres announced they’ve recalled right-winger Isak Rosen from AHL Rochester today. Rosen will replace Brett Murray, who the team announced was returned to the AHL ahead of tonight’s game against the Senators.

It’s been less than three weeks since Rosen’s last NHL game, as the Sabres continue to give the winger only limited looks in their lineup. The 2021 No. 14 overall pick is still looking for his first NHL point, failing to get on the scoresheet in 10 career appearances, including three this year. His possession numbers have provided little reason for optimism, as Rosen only controlled 41.9% of shot attempts at even strength in his limited minutes.

In the AHL, though, he’s hit his stride. Rosen has scored 27-27–54 with a +11 rating in 55 games with the Americans, leading the team in scoring and clicking at nearly a point per game. His offensive totals have steadily improved throughout the 22-year-old’s three seasons in Rochester, from 0.56 points per game in 2022-23 to 0.75 in 2023-24 and now 0.98 this year.

Playoffs are all but officially out of reach for the 28-35-6 Sabres, so with a race to finish outside of last place in the Eastern now their only objective, Buffalo will use the stretch run to continue evaluating its young talent amid a rash of injuries to their forward group. There were many updates on that front f today. While Joshua Norris will miss today’s clash against his former team with what’s now being labeled a mid-body injury, he told Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 that he’s day-to-day and plans to return before the end of the regular season. Meanwhile, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News confirms that Jordan Greenway (lower body) and Sam Lafferty (groin) remain day-to-day and won’t play against Ottawa. Rookie center Jiri Kulich, though, skated this morning and could return after missing four games while in concussion protocol.

Rosen will likely get a look on the third line alongside Kulich and veteran winger Jason Zucker if the team’s line rushes this morning are accurate. They only have 12 healthy forwards, including Kulich, so they’ll need to dress seven defensemen if he can’t go.

The 26-year-old Murray heads back to Rochester after receiving a brief look in fourth-line minutes over the last week. The 6’5″ left-winger went without a point in three games but secured his fourth NHL season of playing time. The 2016 fourth-rounder now has 26 career games with Buffalo and 96-101–197 in 314 career games with Rochester, where he serves as an alternate captain.

The Buffalo Sabres have recalled winger Brett Murray to the NHL club and sent rookie Isak Rosén to the minors. Rosén has appeared in his first seven NHL games since being recalled on November 25th, failing to score a point and recording a -3.

Rosén started the season with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, scoring eight goals and 19 points through his first 16 games with the club. Rosén remains the team’s top scorer, even after missing four games because of his NHL stint. He’s paced by Jiří Kulich, who has managed 13 goals and 19 points of his own through 19 AHL games. Kulich received his NHL debut on the same night as Rosén but was sent back to the minors shortly after. Both players are former first-round selections by Buffalo, with Rosén being drafted 14th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft and Kulich going 28th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. With the debut of Kulich and Rosén, the Sabres have now seen every first-round selection they’ve made since 2017 suit up for them at some point this year – save for winger Jack Quinn, who is working back from Achille’s tendon surgery and Noah Ostlund, who remains in Sweden.

Filling in for Rosén is AHL veteran Brett Murray, who currently has two goals and seven points through 12 games with the Rochester Americans. The scoring brings his career AHL totals up to 217 games played, 58 goals, and 132 points. Murray appeared in 21 NHL games between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, playing in 19 games and scoring six points in the latter campaign. The Sabres originally drafted Murray 99th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, selecting him out of the CCHL before his pursued a career in the USHL and NCAA’s Big 10.