Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres GM Tim Murray ready to make moves at NHL Draft

BUFFALO – In his two and a half years as general manager, Tim Murray has developed a well-deserved reputation for wheeling and dealing to rebuild the Sabres, a team the previous regime gutted into a laughingstock.

So it’s only natural to assume Murray, who has the Sabres positioned to contend for their first playoff spot since 2011, will be active again at the NHL Draft his team is hosting this weekend, starting with tonight’s first ... Read the full article

NHL Draft could get crazy after Auston Matthews, early picks go

BUFFALO – Once ultra-talented forwards Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi are nabbed early tonight, the NHL Draft might really get interesting.

Sure, after the Toronto Maple Leafs select Matthews, there’s speculation the Winnipeg Jets could pass on Laine, the presumptive No. 2 pick, and go for Puljujarvi, another Finn, leaving Laine for the Columbus Blue Jackets. But those three players will almost certainly go first.

What could happen next on the First ... Read the full article

Sabres hire Bob Woods as assistant coach

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Dan Bylsma filled one of the openings on his staff today, hiring Bob Woods as an assistant.

Woods, 48, just spent two seasons as the coach and general manager of the junior Saskatoon Blades, a Western Hockey League club. Prior to that, he was as an NHL assistant under Bruce Boudreau for six years in Washington and Anaheim.

Before his NHL run, Woods coached with the AHL Hershey Bears for five ... Read the full article

Sabres’ recent drafts have yielded potential high-end talent

BUFFALO – To thrive in the modern NHL, teams must build through the draft. It’s that simple. The days of loading up with veteran players through free agency or trades are long gone. The league belongs to the 20-somethings now, and if teams draft poorly, they’re doomed.

How good are the Sabres at drafting? Judge for yourself below. Since drafts usually don’t start paying dividends for a few years, here’s a look at their selections ... Read the full article

NHL Draft prospect Olli Juolevi filled with confidence

BUFFALO – Ask Olli Juolevi a question about his talents, and the London Knights defenseman’s response might surprise you.

In an age in which elite athletes are often taught to give vague, vanilla answers, Juolevi has no problem saying what he really feels.

For example, Juolevi, even though he has some stiff competition from Jakob Chychrun and Mikhail Sergachev, recently said he expects to be the first defenseman chosen in Friday’s NHL Draft the ... Read the full article

Auston Matthews gave up baseball to pursue his passion

BUFFALO – Had Auston Matthews kept playing baseball, perhaps the presumptive No. 1 overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in Friday’s NHL Draft could have enjoyed a different career.

“I was a pretty tall kid,” Matthews said this afternoon after taking batting practice at Coca-Cola Field prior to the Bisons game. “I guess you never know.”

Matthews’ father, Brian, pitched collegiately before an injury ended his career, so he comes from a baseball family. ... Read the full article

Jimmy Vesey just one part of Sabres’ summer plan

BUFFALO – If Tim Murray wants to lure winger Jimmy Vesey to the Sabres, the general manager has a strong recruiter in center Jack Eichel, who’s currently playing summer hockey with the Hobey Baker Award winner in their native Massachusetts.

Eichel, of course, is one of the NHL’s supreme young talents, and, months before his 20^th birthday, already a terrific ambassador for the Sabres and the city.

Failing to utilize Eichel might be ... Read the full article

Sabres’ 2016-17 schedule features long trips; Dan Bylsma close to making hires

BUFFALO – After the Sabres open their season Oct. 13 at home against the Montreal Canadiens, they start a four-game road trip – longer than any swing they had last season – three days later against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

That’s just one notable stretch of the 82-game 2016-17 schedule the NHL released Tuesday.

The Sabres, who went 19-17-5 on the road last season, better get comfortable playing away from the First Niagara ... Read the full article

Sabres hit road early in 2016-17 season

That’s just one notable stretch of the 82-game 2016-17 schedule the NHL released this afternoon.

The Sabres, who went 19-17-5 on the road last season, better get comfortable playing away from the First ... Read the full article

Sabres GM Tim Murray on acquiring Jimmy Vesey’s rights: ‘It’s a gamble’

“We might potentially use Jack as a tool,” Murray said this morning, less than a day after acquiring Vesey’s rights from the Nashville Predators. “I guess I would be a tool not to.”

The Sabres ... Read the full article