Sean Malone endured a tough season. ©2019, Hickling Images

Sean Malone signs with Amerks; Sabres give qualifying offers to NHL regulars

BUFFALO – The Rochester Americans have signed West Seneca’s Sean Malone, who wasn’t given a qualifying offer by the parent Sabres, to a one-year AHL contract, the team announced today.

Injuries limited Malone, 24, to only 38 games during a frustrating 2018-19 campaign. The center hurt his knee in the Sabres’ preseason opener and never seemed to find a groove.

In two seasons with the Amerks, Malone has compiled 16 goals, 35 points and a minus-10 rating in 101 games.

Malone played one contest with the Sabres late in 2016-17 after his four-year career at Harvard ended. The Sabres drafted him in the sixth round in 2013, 159th overall.

As expected, the Sabres tendered qualifying offers to every restricted free agent who played in the NHL last season: forwards Remi Elie, Zemgus Girgensons, Johan Larsson, Evan Rodrigues and C.J. Smith; defenseman Jake McCabe; goalie Linus Ullmark.

Forward Eric Cornel, a second-round pick in 2014, wasn’t qualified. Neither were defensemen Jack Dougherty and Brycen Martin.

NHL teams had until today to extend qualifying offers.

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