Pysyk eager to return 'where it all started'

Mark Pysyk still maintains friendships with the players he came up with during his first stint in Buffalo, a group that includes Tyler Ennis, Marcus Foligno, Brian Flynn, and Tyler Myers.
All five - Pysyk included - departed the Sabres and went on to continue their careers elsewhere. But the shared experiences on a young team were enough to create a lasting effect.
"Those are the guys I grew up (with)," Pysyk said.

Pysyk saw an opportunity to be part of a similar atmosphere when he signed a one-year deal to return to the Sabres on July 28. The 29-year-old will be one of the elder statesmen on a defense corps that returns four players under the age of 24 in Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju, Jacob Bryson, and Mattias Samuelsson.
The situation is similar up front, where Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt are expected to shoulder significant minutes.
"There is definitely, definitely a ton of fun to be had and it's fun to be at the rink," Pysyk said. "That's what excites me about a young team like that. There's that [youthfulness] that's going to be a joy for the game."

Buffalo also offers a chance for consistency. Following the departure of Rasmus Ristolainen, Jokiharju and Colin Miller are the team's only returning right-shot defensemen. Casey Fitzgerald and Oskari Laaksonen are next in the pipeline after spending last season in Rochester.
Pysyk sees an opportunity to reaffirm himself at his natural position after spending the past two seasons rotating between defense and right wing. The switch to forward happened in October 2019, when - after averaging over 18 minutes in each of his first three seasons in Florida - Pysyk had been scratched for five of the Panthers' first six games.
Florida coach Joel Quenneville liked what he saw from Pysyk enough to continue using him up front that season, resulting in a career-high nine goals and 18 points in 58 contests. He played defense and forward last season in Dallas.
"I think this year will give me a chance to sort of re-establish myself as a full-time defenseman," Pysyk said. "And, like I said, there's a lot of great, young talent on that team that will be fun to play with and be around. I'm definitely looking forward to it."
Pysyk was first-round pick by the Sabres in 2010. He turned pro for the 2012-13 season, which he split between Buffalo and Rochester, and went on to play 125 NHL games over four seasons with the organization before being traded to Florida during the 2016 NHL Draft.
He returns to Buffalo a father of two children, eager to put them in blue and gold.
"Hopefully it's a couple of years so they can grow up and spend some time there and see kind of where it all started," he said.