A recently retired defenseman who played in the Buffalo Sabres’ organization is returning to fill an important job in hockey operations.

The club announced Wednesday the hiring of Zach Redmond as a development coach, filling the role vacated by Nathan Paetsch because of his move to the Rochester Americans’ coaching staff. The Sabres also added longtime NCAA assistant coach Brad Dexter to their scouting staff.

Redmond, 35, played parts of three seasons with the Sabres and appeared in three NHL games in 2017-18, but most of his time was spent in Rochester, where he broke a significant record during his 183 games. His 21 goals in 2018-19 were the most by an Amerks defenseman since Rick Paguntti had 18 in 1972-73.

Redmond left the Sabres in 2020 for EHC Munchen of Germany’s top professional league and produced 112 points in 140 games until he chose to retire after last season. He played in 130 NHL games for four different teams before he was traded by Montreal to Buffalo for Nicolas Deslauriers.

Redmond’s new role will have him traveling across the globe to work with the Sabres’ defense prospects, a group headlined by recent draft picks Max Strabak and Gavin McCarthy.

Dexter’s playing career included one season as a teammate of Sabres associate general manager Jason Karmanos with the ECHL’s Raleigh IceCaps in 1996-97. Dexter moved into a full-time coaching job at Clarkson University in 2001-02, then he spent nine years as an assistant coach at Colgate. He has been on the staff at Princeton University the past eight years, the last two as associate head coach.