Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres re-sign Jerry D’Amigo to one-year deal

BUFFALO – The Sabres re-signed winger Jerry D’Amigo, their last restricted free agent, to a one-year, two-way contract today.

D’Amigo played nine games with the Sabres last season, compiling zero points and four penalty minutes. The 24-year-old Binghamton native will likely begin next season in Rochester, where he had six goals and 19 points in 31 games with the AHL Americans in 2014-15.

The Sabres acquired D’Amigo from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward ... Read the full article

Report: Sabres re-sign Johan Larsson to one-year deal

BUFFALO – The Sabres have re-signed center Johan Larsson to a one-year, $800,000 contract, according to a Swedish newspaper report.

The Sabres now only have one unsigned restricted free agent, winger Jerry D’Amigo.

Larsson finished last season as the Sabres’ No. 1 center, scoring four goals and 14 points in his final 20 games. The 22-year-old Swede, however, struggled earlier when he played on checking lines. He scored six goals and 16 points ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign RFAs ticketed for Amerks

BUFFALO – Forward Tim Schaller, defenseman Jerome Leduc and goalie Nathan Lieuwen all signed their qualifying offers from the Sabres today.

The three are likely ticketed for the AHL Rochester Americans again.

Schaller, 24, had one goal and two points in 18 games with the Sabres last season and 15 goals and 43 points in 65 contests with the Amerks.

Leduc, 22, had six goals and 25 points in 76 games with the Amerks ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Devante Stephens comfortable in Buffalo

BUFFALO – Familiarity and comfort surrounded Sabres defense prospect Devante Stephens throughout development camp last week.

New Sabres assistant Dan Lambert, Stephens’ junior coach with the Kelowna Rockets, was on the ice putting the youngsters through drills. Meanwhile, Sabres coach Dan Bylsma, who had just hired Lambert, his friend, was up in the stands watching.

Bylsma already knew Stephens well, having spent almost a week last season helping out Lambert, a former teammate. During ... Read the full article

Strong words already haunting Sabres’ Ryan O’Reilly

In Ryan O’Reilly’s first comments after the Sabres acquired him, the center discussed his desire to assume a leadership role in Buffalo.

Those words – “With the Sabres I have to be a more vocal guy, be that more off-ice leader and on-ice as well,” he said June 29 – are already haunting the 24-year-old.

Ten days after speaking and just six days after signing a seven-year, $52.5 million contract, O’Reilly was arrested and ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Mark Pysyk to two-year deal

BUFFALO – The Sabres re-signed defenseman Mark Pysyk to two-year contract worth $2.25 million Tuesday.

Pysyk, who was a restricted free agent, is expected to be a regular next season after playing only seven NHL games in 2014-15.

The 23-year-old will receive $1 million in 2015-16 and $1.25 million in 2016-17, according to CBC’s Tim Wharnsby. He had an $810,000 NHL salary last season.

Despite some strong play as an NHL regular two seasons ago, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ryan O’Reilly charged with impaired driving, leaving scene of accident

Just days after signing a seven-year, $52.5 million contract extension, Buffalo Sabres center Ryan O’Reilly was arrested Thursday and charged with impaired driving and leaving the scene of an accident after his pickup truck allegedly hit a Tim Hortons in Lucan, Ont.

The incident, which occurred at 4:05 a.m., was announced by the Ontario Provincial Police’s Middlesex County unit Monday night. CFPL-AM first reported the news earlier in the day.

The 24-year-old O’Reilly, who signed ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Phil Varone to two-way deal

BUFFALO – The Sabres re-signed Phil Varone to a one-year, two-way contract today, avoiding arbitration with the forward.

Varone would’ve gone to an arbiter July 27. He’ll earn $600,000 in the NHL next season, according to CBC’s Tim Wharnsby, a $5,000 raise.

The 24-year-old, who had three goals and five points in 28 NHL games last season, likely wanted an AHL raise as a restricted free agent. He only had a $62,500 deal with the ... Read the full article

Jason Kasdorf could be Sabres’ best goalie prospect

BUFFALO – Some of hockey’s biggest young names switched teams in the Sabres’ blockbuster seven-player trade with the Winnipeg Jets in February.

The Sabres paid a hefty price for 30-goal winger Evander Kane and workhorse defenseman Zach Bogosian, giving up slick defenseman Tyler Myers, forward prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux, veteran winger Drew Stafford and a 2015 first-round pick.

Lost in the hubbub was a college goalie the Jets quietly sent the Sabres in ... Read the full article

Josh Chapman unlikely standout at Sabres development camp

BUFFALO – The nifty winning goal in today’s three-on-three development camp tournament wasn’t scored by Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart or one of the Sabres’ other high-end forward prospects.

Try 6-foot-3, 210-pound Josh Chapman, an undrafted defenseman the Sabres invited.

“Someone asked him how many goals he scored this year,” said winger Evan Rodrigues, Chapman’s teammate in the eight-team tournament. “He said none.”

That’s right, Chapman scored zero goals in 44 games last season with ... Read the full article