The Buffalo Sabres announced yesterday that they recalled forward Brandon Biro from the Rochester Amerks. The 23-year-old may make his NHL debut tonight when the Sabres visit the Montreal Canadiens.

The Canadian-born forward has been a key player for the Amerks this year in his second pro season. He has nine goals and 36 points in 39 games. When you watched him last season he stood out in games, but it all came together this year.

Biro doesn’t have size at 5’11” and 170 pounds. He relies on his speed and his hockey sense to hit the openings in the offensive zone. It’s simple plays like the one below that showcase his abilities to find openings. It’s an odd-man rush opportunity, but he loses the Providence defender by hitting the breaks in front of the net and giving Ryan MacInnis a passing lane.

Brandon Biro has this goal plus a helper as the Amerks hold a 4-1 advantage on Providence to start the third period. After going goalless in his first 13 appearances this season, Biro has collected three goals and six points in his last six games. pic.twitter.com/iDYqArkaMP

— Kris Baker (@SabresProspects) December 30, 2021

Biro has benefited from the Amerks turning to more of a rush offense. In particular, he has found success with Sabres prospect JJ Peterka. The two are a transition game nightmare for the opponent as a duo.

A little over four minutes later, Peterka took the puck in transition and hooked up with Brandon Biro to put Rochester ahead 3-2 at the second intermission. pic.twitter.com/EzV8kvBCoc

— Kris Baker (@SabresProspects) January 2, 2022

Tracking Data

Biro’s tracking data numbers match what you see watching him play. The Amerks usually have possession in the offensive zone when his line is on the ice. He possesses one of the better shot share percentages on the team.

With that possession comes quality scoring opportunities. Over the last few weeks, the Peterka and Biro duo has carried the Amerks offensively with creating quality chances and finishing.

Biro got off to a slow start to this season. For that reason, he’s not going to be at the top of the list on the club in primary shot contributions. Having said that, if you’ve followed these numbers all season, you’ll notice that he has quickly moved up this dataset you’ll see below.

Through the first few months of the season, he was at the bottom of the list in contributions to the offense at 5 on 5. Now, he finds himself as the fifth-best forward and continues to climb.

He’s a player that you’re going to find around the net when he’s on the ice. He’s not afraid to go those areas to get a good shooting opportunity and he leans on his quickness in small spaces to get behind defenders.

We’ll see how long he sticks around with the Sabres, but Biro has earned this opportunity. It’s good to see the team has noticed and continues to give deserving players chances to prove themselves in the NHL.

Photo Credit: Micheline V/Rochester Amerks Facebook