Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Sabres add pair to d-camp roster

While waiting for the official release of the Buffalo Sabres' 2014 Development Camp roster, it has been learned that two unclaimed forwards, Liam Pecararo and Christian Hilbrich, have earned invites to the mid-July gathering.

Pecararo is a slippery winger that played the past two years in Waterloo (USHL) as a teammate of Sabres goaltending prospect Cal Petersen. Committed to the University of Maine for 2015, Pecararo collected 61 points (20+41) last season, with just two of his markers coming with the man advantage. The confident playmaker continued to display his elusiveness, vision and finesse in the playoffs with another 14 points (4+10) in 12 contests as the Black Hawks made a run to the Clark Cup championship series. The season as a whole was a drastic developmental leap for the Canton, MA native, who stepped it up big time after absorbing the experience of playing as a 16-year old Junior A rookie in 2012-13 (36 GP 8-5-13).

Hilbrich, 22, recently completed his sophomore year at Cornell University, where he manned the left wing on the Big Red's second line en route to potting nine goals in 27 contests. A budding 6-foot-7, 216-pound power forward project, Hilbrich boasts a heavy wrist shot while using his massive frame to create traffic inside and bang home rebounds.The Indiana Ice product attended Washington's development camp in 2013, and is currently working in Anaheim before making his way to Buffalo.