Per a release from his junior club, the Buffalo Sabres have returned defenseman Brendan Guhle to the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders.

The Raiders posted an article on their website Tuesday morning around 10 a.m. that Guhle had been returned to the team. A short time later, the Sabres also posted a release.

Guhle never got the chance to appear in a regular-season game with the Buffalo Sabres, but he did manage to get some ice-time in the preseason. Unfortunately, that’s also when he suffered an upper-body injury after taking a somewhat nasty hit from Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf.

The 18-year-old was drafted 51st overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the team earlier this year, about a month after the draft.

Guhle attended Buffalo Sabres’ training camp and seemed to become a defensive standout. Many believed the Sabres would give him at least a nine-game tryout before shipping him back to juniors. He impressed in the preseason, but the injury – combined with an already overcrowded blueline – set things back a bit.

Now, Guhle gets to return for another season with Prince Albert. According to the team, he’s expected to make his season debut Tuesday night against the Portland Winterhawks.

Last season, Guhle appeared in all 72 games for the Raiders. He notched five goals and added 27 assists for 32 points. He also registered 36 penalty minutes on the season. The Sherwood Park native is entering his third season in the Western Hockey League, and his third with Prince Albert.

Prior to his time with the WHL club, Guhle played for the AMBHL’s Grande Prairie Storm Bantam AAA team, the Sherwood Park Flyers Bantam AAA team, the Sherwood Park Squires (minor midget) and the AMHL’s Sherwood Park Kings Midget AAA.

He also appeared in the 2015 CHL Top Prospects Game and won a silver medal at the U17 World Hockey Championships in 2013-2014.

Hockey’s Future calls Guhle “a long-term project,” but if the way the Buffalo Sabres handled him prior to this is any indication, they may have some great faith in him and it’s entirely possible that he makes the team for the 2016-2017 NHL season. For now, he’ll return to Prince Albert and act as a defensive leader and continue to grow, both physically and in his game.