Articles in Buffalo Sabres

Erik Johnson Going To The Flyers

03/08/2024 at 1:53pm EST

Kyle Okposo To Florida

03/08/2024 at 11:54am EST

Colorado/Buffalo Trade

03/06/2024 at 2:03pm EST

Don Granato Fined For Unprofessional Conduct

02/29/2024 at 12:59pm EST

NEW YORK (Feb. 29, 2024) – Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato has been fined $25,000 for unprofessional conduct directed at the officials that resulted in a bench minor at 9:01 of the third period of NHL Game No. 928 on Tuesday, Feb. 27, the National Hockey League announced today.

The fine money goes to the NHL Foundation.

Owen Power Out At Least A Week

02/13/2024 at 10:34am EST

Hard To Watch In Buffalo

02/12/2024 at 9:21am EST

from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News,

If you haven’t already purchased tickets for a game the rest of the season, why would you do it now? Why would you plunk down for a minipack or a season ticket for 2024-25? You love your hockey, but when is this team and this franchise going to love its fans back?

One of my Twitter followers sent me a reply during the second intermission of Saturday’s 3-1 loss to St. Louis that capsulizes it perfectly. There’s no reason for me to wordsmith something when @Kratzey16 chiseled it so well on his own.

His message: “It is truly remarkable how the Sabres have gone from a super fun, really interesting team to watch and in one offseason have now become a super dull, boring and lifeless team. It’s quite something. Just no reason to watch. It’s become unwatchable.”

Unwatchable. That’s a real problem.

read on

Now What Buffalo?

12/20/2023 at 9:23am EST

from Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News,

When Adams woke up Tuesday, the Sabres’ general manager was running a team that was seventh in the Atlantic Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference. The fans didn’t expect that to happen. Neither did the GM.

The Columbus Blue Jackets scored seven goals in a span of 21:52 on their way to a 9-4 win that caused the sparse crowd in downtown Buffalo to mercilessly boo the home team throughout the game.

“I can tell you, first and foremost, I am not happy with where we are in the standings, for sure,” Adams told The Buffalo News in a morning conversation in KeyBank Center. “But I have complete belief and faith in this group of players, in this group of coaches, that we are going to to be a really good team, here. It’s just, of course, that we want it now. But it doesn’t always work exactly like that.”

ure doesn't. Gotta wonder how Adams' faith meter is registering now. The entire organizational foundation is teetering after Tuesday night's 9-4 humiliation at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

As in the 28th-place Columbus Blue Jackets.

This was a nightmare nobody could have imagined here all summer and into the fall. And not even through the weirdness of this season, which was highlighted by a 5-2 spanking of Stanley Cup champion Vegas a scant four nights previous in the Nevada desert.

Captain Kyle Okposo and Tage Thompson understandably took umbrage with my notion that the Flying Goatheads quit on this game in the second period. Coach Don Granato said simply of his boys, "They had a tough night."

read on

The Up And Down Buffalo Sabres

11/25/2023 at 11:20pm EST

from Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News,

The three forgettable periods of hockey that followed were among the Sabres’ worst in 21 games this season. They allowed four goals in the first, mustered only 12 shots on goal in 60 minutes and didn’t put up much of a fight in a 7-2 drubbing at the hands of the Devils.

It was a dud of a performance less than 24 hours after the Sabres scored three goals in the third period to complete a come-from-behind win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in front of a sellout crowd in KeyBank Center. Bad starts have become an alarming trend for Buffalo. Falling behind in games is one reason why a team with playoff expectations is failing to replicate and exceed its success from last season.

“I’m not happy about it, obviously,” lamented Sabres coach Don Granato. “The lessons will keep repeating until you learn them. You come off a game you feel good about last night, but you have to have greater respect going in to the intensity that’s needed day in and day out in this league. … It’s a matter of respect for that. It’s a matter of experience gained in that, and lessons learned and it’s a big lesson, obviously, tonight.”

more

watch the game highlights below...

Too Much Pressure On Devon Levi?

11/20/2023 at 7:12am EST

from Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic,

When the Buffalo Sabres were entering the offseason, general manager Kevyn Adams was unwavering in what he had seen from goalie Devon Levi. Levi won five of the seven games he played for the Sabres after the conclusion of his college career at Northeastern and he allowed three goals or fewer in five of those seven games, too.

While the traditional path for a goalie is to spend time in the AHL before jumping to the NHL, those seven games, along with Levi’s body of work in college, convinced the Sabres he could be different. At just 21 years old, he was going to get a chance to take the net for a team with playoff aspirations. He would play behind a work-in-progress defense and share the crease with two other unproven goalies, Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

“I want our players to be fearless and that’s how we’re going to run the organization, too,” Adams said in April. “Donny and myself, we are going to be fearless and we’re going to trust and believe in our players. When we think they’re ready and in spots to succeed we’re going to help them. For me looking at Devon, I see a special person, I see a special work ethic, a special talent”

Few players have done what Levi is attempting. Goalies who have skipped the AHL typically come from other professional leagues like the KHL in Russia (Sergei Bobrovsky) or SEL in Sweden (Henrik Lundqvist). Carter Hart, Jeremy Swayman and Spencer Knight are recent examples of goalies who ended up with fewer than 20 AHL games. But Hart and Knight have experienced some ups and downs the last few years. Knight is in the AHL after entering the player assistance program to deal with his OCD. Swayman played nine AHL games before getting called up to work in tandem with a formidable veteran in Tuukka Rask while playing behind one of the NHL’s most consistent defensive teams in Boston. The next season, he was splitting the net with Linus Ullmark, another veteran who signed a lucrative free agent deal.

Levi, meanwhile, doesn’t share the net with a proven veteran goalie and the Sabres allowed the fifth-most high-danger chances in the NHL last season.

continued ($)

Videos- Tage Thompson Will Miss Significant Time From Injury Tonight

11/14/2023 at 10:40pm EST

Two videos below.

A Scheduled DoPS Hearing For Connor Clifton

10/28/2023 at 12:10am EDT

via the NHL.

Connor Clifton will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Saturday.

The Buffalo Sabres defenseman is facing discipline for an illegal check to the head against New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier on Friday.

The incident occurred at 16:00 of the first period in the Devils’ 5-4 win at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Clifton received a match penalty.

Hischier played in the second period but did not play in the third.

The following grounds are being considered for supplemental discipline: Illegal check to the head. However, the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to the infraction upon review.

The Culture Change For The Buffalo Sabres

10/16/2023 at 9:44am EDT

from Kristen Shilton of ESPN,

The Buffalo Sabres didn't rebuild from scratch.

Don't let the franchise's headline-generating class of rising young stars convince otherwise.

Buffalo was reforged through strategy, embracing fundamentals and a return to the basic principle of walk before you run -- or more aptly, lose (copiously) before you can win.

Yet, there was no scorched-Earth scenario. Rather, it was a pack of Sabres' veterans -- namely Kyle Okposo, Zemgus Girgensons, Jeff Skinner and Craig Anderson -- quietly nurturing the club's foundation with seeds waiting to bloom.

"Our veterans have gotten that room to the point where today, right now, the players know they should go out each night and know they're capable of winning. It's much different than before," head coach Don Granato told ESPN in September. "We've grown from where, two years ago, we drafted Owen Power [No. 1 overall], which means we were not in a good position in the standings. The focus then was on getting our things in order. We had to get our culture in order. We had to learn to work, we had to learn to compete. We had to learn to do it every day. And then we could start talking about winning."

continued

A New Contract For Owen Power

10/11/2023 at 7:49pm EDT

from Jourdon LaBarber of the Buffalo website,

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams made his intentions clear regarding the long-term futures of defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power when he spoke to the media at the end of last season.

“There’s a process that you go through,” Adams said. “But I couldn’t imagine those two not part of us long-term.”

The process came to its conclusion Wednesday. The Sabres signed Power to a seven-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $8.35 million, two days after Dahlin signed an eight-year deal that will keep him in Buffalo through the 2031-32 season.

The Sabres now have five core players under the age of 26 on long-term contracts. In addition to Dahlin and Power, forwards Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson all signed seven-year extensions last season.

continued

An Eight-Year Extension For Rasmus Dahlin In Buffalo

10/09/2023 at 8:13am EDT

from Jorudan LaBarber of Sabres.com,

Rasmus Dahlin made his feelings about Buffalo clear when asked about the status of his contract at the outset of training camp last month.

“I love the city. I love the team. I love everything,” Dahlin said.

The Sabres cemented his future with the organization on Monday. Dahlin signed an eight-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $11 million, beginning with the 2024-25 season.

Dahlin, 23, joins forwards Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson – all of whom signed seven-year contracts – as core members of the Sabres who have signed long-term extensions since the start of last season.

continued

Are The Buffalo Sabres Bound For The Playoffs?

10/04/2023 at 9:02am EDT

Is Devon Levi Ready To Take Over The Net In Buffalo?

09/30/2023 at 3:39pm EDT

from Jason Bukala of Sportsnet,

The first cuts at NHL training camps have been made as players are returned to junior or released from amateur and pro tryouts.

Here are some of my observations from pre-season action around the NHL

IS DEVON LEVI READY TO BE BUFFALO'S STARTER?

Everyone recognizes an extra save by your goaltender can lead to key victories over the season. The Buffalo Sabres, who finished one point out of playoffs last season, need those victories in 2023-24.

Here are the five goaltenders the Sabres have in training camp, with their number of NHL games played in brackets: Dustin Tokarski (80), Eric Comrie (47), Ukko-Pekka Luukonen (46), Devon Levi (7), Devin Cooley (0).

It's a big year for the Sabres so to say they are rolling the dice hoping one of these goalies can elevate and prove themselves worthy of being a number one for the team, is an understatement.

Having said that, I believe Levi is on the cusp of winning the net in Buffalo.

Just four years ago Levi was tending net for the Carleton Place Canadians of the CCHL, but after two successful seasons at Northeastern University and a cup of coffee at the NHL level last spring, he looks ready for the NHL. I believe he is ready to tackle this challenge.

His numbers, over the past three seasons have been dominant. His goals-against average and save percentage leading up to his NHL debut speak for themselves.

Levi isn’t a towering figure between the posts – he’s listed at 6-feet, 185 pounds – but he has a stocky frame with how he stations himself between his posts.

more and a few other names too...

Devon Levi's Summer

09/10/2023 at 9:43am EDT

from Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News,

Parents rolled heavy equipment bags and sticks toward the exit, their precocious, young goalies in tow, as a crowd began to gather at Quartier Hockey on a humid August afternoon.

“You know who that is, right?” a father said to his son.

A group of children emerged from an adjacent hallway, completing a sprint from the locker rooms, and the sight of the ice sheet caused one boy to belt out, “He’s on this side!” They raced toward the glass and playfully jockeyed for the best view.

On the ice, Devon Levi listened to instructions from his longtime goalie coach, Marco Raimondo, then skated toward his crease to prepare to stop a barrage from three shooters. One by one, Levi stymied their attempts to score with ease, each movement as perfectly executed as the last with a singular objective on his mind: stay square to the puck.

A few of his saves evoked audible gasps from the dozen or so people who stuck around to watch the goalie who became a larger-than-life figure to kids in the Montreal area. His journey to the NHL began with the same passion that attracted them to the try to stop pucks and, as someone who grew up nearby, he’s a symbol that the dream is attainable.

It wasn’t long ago that Levi was the kid hanging around the rink after practice to try to meet the athletes he adored.

continued

Terry Pegula Is Now The President Of The Buffalo Sabres

08/28/2023 at 11:44am EDT

via the Buffalo Sabres,

Owner Terry Pegula has been named President of the Buffalo Sabres. He will continue to work closely with COO John Roth leading the business side of the organization and general manager Kevyn Adams leading the hockey side of the organization.

In conjunction with these changes, Pegula Sports & Entertainment (PSE) will be separating resources between the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, allowing each respective organization to focus singularly on their efforts.

"We are thankful for the work and effort so many individuals have put into PSE over the years, but feel it is the right time for them to return home to separate organizations," Sabres owner and president Terry Pegula said. "We feel that now is the right time to dissolve PSE and allow everyone to focus solely on their respective organization. It is a great time to be a Buffalo sports fan and we have a tremendous amount of confidence that this restructuring will allow our businesses to continue to elevate with our teams."

Pegula and Roth will continue to work collaboratively with the business leadership group at the Buffalo Sabres as they guide the organization towards its goal of winning championships.

Rest In Peace Rick Jeanneret

08/17/2023 at 10:25pm EDT

from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News,

Rick Jeanneret, the legendary play-by-play voice of the Buffalo Sabres who became one of the franchise's biggest icons over his 51-year career behind the microphone, died Thursday night, the Sabres announced.

Jeanneret had turned 81 on July 23. A cause of death was not immediately available.

Jeanneret's bombastic style and high-powered goal and fight calls made him a fixture on NHL highlight packages on both sides of the border throughout his career. Sabres fans can routinely imitate many of his most famous ones, a list that's almost always led by the "May Day, May Day" call of Brad May's overtime goal that gave the Sabres a four-game sweep of the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 1993 Stanley Cup Playoffs and ended Buffalo's 10-year drought without a playoff win.

Jeanneret, who formed a play-by-play pair for the ages with longtime voice of the Sabres Ted Darling, started his career as the analyst on the team's radio broadcasts during the 1971-72 season, Buffalo's second in the NHL. He moved full-time to television in 1995 and the team went to a simulcast in 1997, with Jeanneret calling the game on both radio and TV with partners Jim Lorentz, Harry Neale and Rob Ray.

continued

Below watch some of his top calls.

Can You See Patrick Kane Playing For The Buffalo Sabres?

08/15/2023 at 5:43am EDT

from Lyle Richardson at The Hockey News,

Patrick Kane remains the biggest name still available in this summer's free-agent market.

Rehabbing from a hip procedure, the 34-year-old winger isn't expected to be ready to return to action until December. By then, his agent has indicated he will field contract offers from potential Stanley Cup contenders.

Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press reported rumors linking Kane to the Buffalo Sabres. After years of rebuilding, they're a team on the rise with a solid core of young talent that could benefit from a player with his Stanley Cup experience.

continued

The Playoff Window For The Buffalo Sabres Is Open

08/04/2023 at 3:48am EDT

from Heather Engel at the NHL website.

The times are changing for the Buffalo Sabres and with them are greater expectations.

After finishing one point behind the Florida Panthers for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, the Sabres appear poised to take the next step and potentially end the longest active NHL playoff drought at 12 seasons.

"Last year, there was no expectations," Buffalo captain Kyle Okposo said May 25. "Everybody's writing rosy articles and this group is a good team, it's becoming a good team. And that's great, but how do you do that with expectations? There's guys that are starting to get bigger contracts, there's guys that are starting to get noticed nationally. There's going to be lofty expectations next year and I think that we can't run from that.

"The time is now. Our window, I think it's opening, and we have to be prepared for that."

General manager Kevyn Adams and the front office has allowed one of the youngest rosters in the NHL to grow together, even with some Atlantic Division rivals opting for more of a splash in the offseason.

read on

Buffalo Sabres Sign Connor Clifton

07/01/2023 at 1:57pm EDT

Erik Johnson Signs In Buffalo

07/01/2023 at 12:49pm EDT

Morning Line -Mike Harrington

06/18/2023 at 9:52am EDT
Eichel got too much too soon in Buffalo because it was the only card Pegula and then-GMs Tim Murray and Jason Botterill could play. He got the big-money contract and the captaincy before he had done a whole lot to deserve it. We’ll never know the course of franchise history if the Sabres had made O’Reilly the captain instead of Eichel, like they probably should have. Eichel could have grown into his career and played without that burden, like he can now in Vegas.

-Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News where you can read more on this and other hockey topics too.

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