Sabres add Jason Polin to bolster Rochester forward depth
Jason Polin brings Rochester a steady right-shot scorer after posting 21 AHL points and four NHL games with Colorado last season.
Buffalo kept its free-agent work focused on the front end Tuesday by agreeing to terms with Jason Polin on a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season, a move that gives the Rochester Americans another experienced right wing with recent AHL production.
Polin, 27, carries an $850,000 NHL cap hit and arrives after four seasons in the Colorado Avalanche organization. He split time between the Colorado Eagles and Colorado, producing 21 points in 46 AHL games last season while also appearing in four NHL games. That followed a similar run of dependable minor-league offense, with 19 points in 39 AHL games in 2024-25 and 10 points in 42 games in 2023-24.
For Rochester, the fit is more precise than the headline suggests. Polin is not being added as a splashy scorer or a pure reclamation project. He looks more like a complementary winger who can slot into the Americans’ middle six, handle regular AHL minutes, and keep the offense moving without needing puck-dominant usage. At 27 and coming off three straight seasons of double-digit AHL production, he profiles as the kind of steady addition that can round out a lineup and keep pressure off the organization’s younger forwards.
There is also enough offensive upside in his résumé to make the move more than a simple depth play. Polin’s senior season at Western Michigan still stands out: he served as captain and finished with 47 points in 39 games, including 30 goals and 17 assists, before being named a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. That scoring track record, paired with his recent NHL exposure, gives Buffalo a player who can occupy a useful lane between prospect and veteran.
The Sabres and Americans have been reshaping their forward depth chart as free agency opens, and Polin fits that pattern cleanly. He gives Rochester another right-shot option, a player with enough track record to be trusted in a scoring role and enough recent NHL time to remain on the radar if injuries or call-ups create openings in Buffalo.
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