Staal is reunited with Adams, who were teammates on the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup-winning team. And he played 32 games for the Sabres in 2021 before being traded to Montreal.

Staal played 32 games for the Sabres during the 2020-21 season. He will report to Adams, who will be back for a sixth season as GM.

The Buffalo Sabres hired Eric Staal as a special assistant to the general manager, the team announced Wednesday.