Lawrence Pilut will be continuing his hockey career overseas.
The defenseman announced on his Instagram account Wednesday that he has joined Lausanne Hockey Club of the National League in Switzerland. Pilut, who returned to the Sabres organization on a one-year, two-way contract signed last summer, was a pending unrestricted free agent.
“Thank you to Buffalo and Rochester for this season,” he wrote. “Thank you to all the fans that supported us during our playoff run. Now on to a new adventure! Excited to be a part of @lausannehc_officiel.”
According to the official Lausanne website, it’s a two-year contract that runs through 2024-25.
Pilut, 27, played 17 games in Buffalo this past season, scoring once and adding two assists. He co-anchored the top defense pair in Rochester and enjoyed his most productive AHL campaign, recording 28 points (three goals, 25 assists) in the regular season and 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 11 games in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Amerks have four spots on defense already penciled in for next season, with rookies Ryan Johnson, Nikita Novikov, Zach Metsa, and veteran Ethan Prow all under contract.
The Swede previously left the organization after the 2019-20 season, playing two seasons in Russia with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL.
Buffalo originally signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2018.