Sabres hire Mike Komisarek as player development coach

Longtime NHL defenseman Mike Komisarek is about to get his first crack at coaching.

The Buffalo Sabres hired Komisarek as a player development coach, the team announced Tuesday.

The 35-year-old brings a wealth of NHL experience with him, having logged 551 career games split between the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and, most recently, the Carolina Hurricanes in 2013-14.

He was the definition of a stay-at-home defenseman - never recording more than 19 points in a season - but was widely considered one of the game's best penalty killers, largely due to his hulking 6-foot-4 frame.

Given that the Sabres had the sixth-worst penalty kill in the league last season, it's possible Komisarek's expertise could start paying dividends immediately.