Victor Olofsson has scord six goals this season. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

As career in Buffalo nears end, Victor Olofsson helping Sabres again

DETROIT – Finally, nine months later, Sabres winger Victor Olofsson can settle in and enjoy what will almost certainly be his final days in Buffalo.

Right now, the affable Swede has a regular spot in the lineup again and a place on the power play – where he’s most dangerous – as the Sabres fight for a playoff spot.

Last spring, when his disappointing 2022-23 season ended, Olofsson, 28, began waiting to be traded. Then ... Read the full article

Rasmus Dahlin (left) likes playing with Bowen Byram (center) but misses Casey Mittelstadt, his close friend. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin sad to see Casey Mittelstadt leave in trade, excited by Bowen Byram’s arrival

BUFFALO – It stinks, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin said, using a stronger word to describe his feelings. His close friend, center Casey Mittelstadt, is gone, having been traded to the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

Make no mistake, Dahlin likes the addition of Bowen Byram, his new defense partner, and is happy for Mittelstadt, who joined a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Still, it hasn’t been easy. On Monday, following the Sabres’ first practice without Mittelstadt, a ... Read the full article

Alex Tuch has scored 17 goals this season. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has no plans to trade Alex Tuch

BUFFALO – Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said after a Sportsnet story recently reported teams had called to ask about Alex Tuch’s availability prior to Friday’s trade deadline, he reassured the winger he had no plans to deal him.

“I’m not trading Alex Tuch,” Adams said Friday in KeyBank Center. “That is not something we had any interest in doing. He’s a key piece of the puzzle for us, and I grabbed him the next ... Read the full article

Casey Mittelstadt has developed into a coveted center. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Casey Mittelstadt’s status made trading for coveted Bowen Byram possible

BUFFALO – Kevyn Adams said he never shopped Casey Mittelstadt around the NHL. No, the Sabres general manager said, the center’s emergence made him a sought-after asset.

When other GMs called him to ask about Mittelstadt, his leading scorer, he made it clear he was willing to listen and think about possible scenarios.

Adams said he had been working for a couple of years to find a young, top-pair defenseman. Those type of defenders, of ... Read the full article

Former captain Kyle Okposo warms up Wednesday in Toronto. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams emotional after trading Kyle Okposo to Panthers: ‘An unbelievable person’

BUFFALO – Kevyn Adams processed the question, cleared his throat and stepped back from the podium for a moment to compose himself. When the Sabres general manager began talking about trading his captain, Kyle Okposo, he fought back tears.

“An unbelievable person,” an emotional Adams said Friday in KeyBank Center after dealing the veteran winger to the Florida Panthers hours before the 3 p.m. trade deadline. “I have a lot of respect for people that ... Read the full article

Kyle Okposo spent eight years in Buffalo. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres trade Kyle Okposo to Panthers

BUFFALO – Captain Kyle Okposo’s career with the Sabres is over.

The Sabres late this morning traded the veteran winger to the Florida Panthers in exchange for defense prospect Calle Sjalin and a seventh-round pick in 2024.

Okposo, 35, said earlier this week he and general manager Kevyn Adams were on the same page as this afternoon’s deadline approached.

The Panthers, who rank first in the Eastern Conference, offer Okposo a chance to pursue the ... Read the full article

Bowen Byram skates Oct. 29 in Buffalo. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres believe trade gives them special person, player in Bowen Byram

TORONTO – Over the years, Sabres center Dylan Cozens said he and his close friend, defenseman Bowen Byram, had talked about someday playing on the same team again.

Cozens, 23, and Byram, 22, go way back, having played Midget hockey together and represented Team Canada in four tournaments as teenagers.

During the recent NHL All-Star break, they vacationed in Cancun, and Cozens said Byram, who won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, ... Read the full article

Casey Mittelstadt and Bowen Byram switched teams Wednesday. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres sad, surprised Casey Mittelstadt traded, excited for Bowen Byram

TORONTO – Sooner or later, it was going to happen. Over the past few years, as the Sabres grew into a tight-knit group, their young core remained intact. But as the team evolved and needs materialized and the salary cap became a factor again, someone would have to leave Buffalo.

On Wednesday, two days before the trade deadline, it happened. The Sabres dealt center Casey Mittelstadt, a beloved teammate and their leading scorer, to the ... Read the full article

Kyle Okposo has scored 12 goals this season. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres captain Kyle Okposo quiet on future as trade deadline nears

TORONTO – Sabres captain Kyle Okposo chose his words carefully, only revealing that he has spoken to general manager Kevyn Adams about his future, and they’re on the same page as Friday’s trade deadline approaches.

“We’ll keep the rest of those talks private,” Okposo, 35, said following Tuesday’s practice in LECOM Harborcenter.

In answering other questions, however, Okposo essentially acknowledged the obvious: that after eight years in Buffalo, he seems prepared for a possible trade ... Read the full article

Kyle Okposo is in his eighth season in Buffalo. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

As trade deadline approaches, Sabres captain Kyle Okposo could be dealt

BUFFALO – Can you picture Sabres captain Kyle Okposo wearing a different uniform, say, for example, the Black and Gold of the rival Boston Bruins or the colors of another Stanley Cup contender?

When Okposo, 35, signed a one-year contract to return for his eighth and perhaps final season here, it felt like he would retire with the Sabres. Over the past three years, he has very much been the face of the team, helping ... Read the full article