By Fitzgerald Cecilio

Buffalo, NY

Though the recent additions of John Scott and Steve Ott help bring the physical presence on the Sabres team to a whole new level, Buffalo further added grit this offseason by agreeing to terms with forward Patrick Kaleta on a multi-year contract.

Buffalo announced it has re-signed free-agent Kaleta to a multi-year deal.

The Sabres retained rights on Kaleta in June when they extended the 26-year-old Buffalo native a qualifying offer.

Both sides agreed to a three-year, $3.825 million deal. It translates to $1.275 million annually for Kaleta

Kaleta, who has played four full seasons with the Sabres after being selected by Buffalo in the sixth-round of the 2004 draft, registered five goals and 10 points in 63 games last season.

Kaleta led the team with 116 penalty minutes and topped all Buffalo forwards with 139 hits.

The 6-foot-1, 206-pound Kaleta is regarded a hard-hitter, but his pest role may have taken a toll on him both physically and offensively.

Apart from struggling last season, Kaleta also took too many bad penalties.

He was suspended for 4 regular season games early in 2011-12 campaign for a head-butt on Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakub Voracek.

It marked the third time in less than 2 seasons that Kaleta was penalized for head-butting.

Kaleta has not played more than 63 contests in any of his five full seasons in a Sabre uniform.

For his career, Kaleta has amassed 26 goals, 24 assists and 434 penalty minutes in 267 games.

Meanwhile, the Sabres have yet to re-sign playmaking center Tyler Ennis, the club's last unsigned restricted free agent.

 

Sabres Add Grit: Ink Patrick Kaleta to Multi-Year Pact