"Brandon is a young, offensive-minded defenseman who can play the up-tempo style we are looking to play," Botterill said in a press release. "He's a right-shot defenseman that brings additional playoff experience to our club."
The addition of Montour gives the Sabres eight healthy defensemen on the NHL roster, with a ninth on injured reserve in Marco Scandella. Montour is one of four right shots in that group, along with Zach Bogosian, Casey Nelson and Rasmus Ristolainen.
Regarding the long-term picture, Montour is in the first year of a two-year contract, set to become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2020.
Montour led Anaheim defensemen with 57 points (14+43) and 286 shots in 142 games since the start of last season. He averaged a career-high 22:40 this season, third on the Ducks behind Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler. Last season, he tied for eighth among NHL defensemen with five power-play goals.
His willingness to jump down low in the offensive zone is supported by his average shot length, which at 44.1 feet is the sixth-lowest mark among league defensemen (minimum 30 games played), according to NHL.com. Rasmus Dahlin ranks eighth (44.8) while Rasmus Ristolainen ranks 17th (46.3).
Montour also has eight assists in 21 playoff games on his resume, an asset for a young Sabres core in the thick of its first playoff race.
The Sabres play in Toronto on Monday, an hour drive from Montour's hometown of Brantford, Ont. The team returns home to host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.
