Sabres bring back Subban on 1-year deal

The Buffalo Sabres have agreed to terms with goaltender Malcolm Subban on a one-year, two-way contract worth $850,000, the team announced Tuesday.
Subban, 28, engrained himself as a member of the organization despite limited playing time after being acquired by the Sabres in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on December 2. He played four games with the team before sustaining an upper-body injury that required season-ending surgery.

He produced two of the season's most memorable moments in spite of his injury. The first was a behind-the-back blocker save on Pittsburgh's Evan Rodrigues, which came as part of a 45-save performance in his second game with the Sabres. Fans voted the play as Buffalo's save of the year last month.

The next moment was a testament to the strength of the Sabres' the dressing room. Subban opted to remain in Buffalo to rehab his injury, during which time he became active in the community and developed relationships with his new teammates.
Subban's penchant for singing around the locker room spurred him to - at the behest of his teammates - perform "The Star-Spangled Banner" ahead of the Sabres' season finale at KeyBank Center. The moment captured the attention of the hockey world.

Subban expressed a desire to remain with the organization during his end-of-season press conference.
"The stuff that goes on in the locker room, it's unreal honestly," he said. "It's always good times laughing and joking around. The group's just growing. You can just feel the bond getting stronger and stronger every day. It's awesome to be a part of."
Subban was a first-round pick by Boston in 2012. He had played a combined 82 NHL games with the Bruins, Golden Knights, and Blackhawks prior to last season, which he opened with AHL Rockford.
He viewed his trade to Buffalo as a chance at a fresh start after what he felt was a summer of personal growth. His injury delayed that process, but he remained optimistic after the season.
"Just stay focused and now it's just another mountain to climb," he said. "There's always going to be mountains. Some are going to be tougher than others. The next one might be tougher than this one so, you know, just got to keep the vision straight and keep plugging and keep trying to get better and keep persevering.
"That's what I've always done, it's what I'm going to continue to do and hopefully I can get back to 100 percent this summer and have a good start to the season."