The Sabres have assigned Varone to AHL Rochester.

The Sabres have assigned Varone to AHL Rochester.

Analysis:

Varone, who has recorded two goals in seven NHL games this season, returns to Rochester, where he is the team's co-scoring scoring leader (along with Mikhail Grigorenko) with 29 points in 36 games. The demotion shouldn't be all that surprising with Varone getting benched to start Saturday's game against Philadelphia. The diminutive center has a lot of skill but hasn't played up to head coach Ted Nolan's standards. It's entirely possible that Varone will get another audition later in the season if he continues to excel at the AHL level.