With a logjam of veterans, should Amerks move Varone?

Look at your basic package of alkaline batteries and you'll find a "best-when-used-by" date.

Let the batteries sit unused beyond that day and there's a chance they won't provide optimum performance.

Prospects in the American Hockey League sometimes have a similar time stamp, a point in their careers when they're no longer quite as productive for the same team. They still work, but something's missing. They're sometimes not able to consistently find the energy and jump to reach peak production.

Phil Varone's best-by date with the Buffalo Sabres organization may say 2014-15.

Thus, could it be time for the Rochester Americans to move him to ease the lineup logjam? Varone no longer fits the league's "development player" classification. To comply with the AHL development rule, the Amerks must keep two of their eight "veterans" out of uniform every game.

That gets old. And burdensome.

Coach Randy Cunneyworth said after Sunday's 1-0 home loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack that the idea of a trade has been at least bounced around within the organization's hockey department. He obviously did not say who could be moved.

Varone would seemingly be a candidate. The fifth-year centerman leads the Amerks in goals with nine, but the coaching staff deemed him to be so ineffective they kept him out of the lineup for three consecutive games.

The move could have been brushed off as just part of the veteran rotation. But considering the team was a mediocre 12-12-1-1 at the time of the first scratch, on Dec. 18, and that Varone's résumé says he creates offense, there was far more to it.

The statement the coaches were making: We want fewer cute plays, fewer east-west flight patterns and more rapid, straight-ahead, to-the-net attacking.

"He plays a risky game at times," Cunneyworth said. "We're trying to allow some creativity from talented players like him, but we want a little more of a north game, a little quicker game. That's the way he has to play to get back to the next level."

Varone returned to the lineup on Sunday evening and there was a noticeable jump in his stride. He appeared determined to make a difference, though he wasn't able to do so. Wolf Pack goalie Jeff Malcolm stopped 24 shots and the Wolf Pack's Chad Nehring scored the only goal 5:51 into the third period.

"For missing three nights, I thought he stepped right into a pretty good effort," Cunneyworth said.

Said Varone, who had four of the Rochester shots: "I can do better. You can always do more."

Varone has played in 26 of the 30 games, producing nine goals, four assists and 13 points. That's a strange goals-to-assists ratio for him. He's a playmaker. He averaged an assist every other game in his first four AHL seasons, and led the Amerks in scoring in three of those years.

But he has now gone 15 games with out an assist, a streak that goes back to Nov. 6. He's also a minus-10 in plus/minus over that span, which has dropped him to a team-worst minus-17.

Maybe he's trying to do too much to impress. After playing in 28 games for the Sabres last season (3-2-5, minus-14), he was among the early reassignments out of training camp this fall.

If Varone is a player the organization would consider moving, there seemingly would be interest. He played in the AHL All-Star Classic last season and has always been a scoring threat.

Varone, however, did not say he'd welcome a trade.

"I've played here for a long time," he said. "I've enjoyed it. I like it a lot. The city's been great, my teammates have been great.

"As long as I put on this jersey, I will work hard."

There is a trade precedent for Sabres general manager Tim Murray for players in Varone's situation. Luke Adam went from a Sabres regular in 2011-12 to a permanent spot with the Amerks until his trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets organization on Dec. 16, 2014.

Varone said he must focus on just one thing: his performance on the ice. "Our job's to go out and work hard, whether we're in the lineup or not."

KEVINO@gannett.com

Kevin's 3 stars

Jeff Malcolm, G, Wolf Pack ... Stopped all 24 shots for his first AHL shutout. Nathan Lieuwen, G, Amerks ... Probably faced more high-quality chances than his counterpart. Ryan Bourque, LW, Wolf Pack ... Game-high 5 shots, great play to set up the goal.

Hartford 0 0 1 -- 1

Rochester 0 0 0 -- 0

First period: No scoring. Penalty: Akeson, Roch (hooking) 12:47.

Second period: No scoring. Penalties: Rodrigues, Roch (high sticking) 8:32; Summers, Hart (hooking) 16:45.

Third period: 1, Hartford, Nehring 9 (Bourque, Tambellini) 5:51. Penalties: None.

Shots on goal: Hartford 7-8-11--26. Rochester 8-7-9--24.

Goalies: Hartford, Malcolm 3-1 (24 shots, 24 saves). Rochester, Lieuwen 7-6 (26, 25).

Power-play conversions: Hartford 0 of 2. Rochester 0 of 1.

Penalties/minutes: Hartford 1/2. Rochester 2/4.

Attendance: 5,174.

Referees: Pierre Lambert. Linesmen: Fraser McIntyre, James Tobias.