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

Casey Mittelstadt skates this morning in Scotiabank Arena. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Stunner: Sabres trade top scorer Casey Mittelstadt to Avs 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.

This afternoon, 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

Rasmus Dahlin has been playing nearly half of the game. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Injuries force Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin to handle more responsibility, ice time

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin’s instincts tell him to get after it, not to settle for the simplest play.

After all, the Swede possesses the talent to make dazzling moves and take over the ice.

“When he touches the puck, he tries to go, he tries to make the ideal play happen and he competes and fights to make the ideal play happen on each puck touch,” Sabres coach Don Granato said following Tuesday’s ... Read the full article

Henri Jokiharju has scored three goals this season. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres notes: Henri Jokiharju displays offense; Buffalo makes roster move

BUFFALO – The Sabres mostly utilize defenseman Henri Jokiharju in a defensive role, meaning other than occasionally quarterbacking the second power-play unit, he rarely gets to display his offensive talent.

“Usually five-on-five through the regular 60 minutes of a game, he’s very responsible and focused so much on defense that you don’t get to see some of his offensive touch,” coach Don Granato told reporters Saturday in Minnesota after Jokiharju scored the overtime winner in ... Read the full article

Dylan Cozens scored Buffalo’s only goal Saturday. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres end home stand with loss to Lightning; Don Granato confused by late penalty on Zach Benson

BUFFALO – When their six-game home stand began, the Sabres had an opportunity to ignite a run and roar into playoff contention. Instead, they blew perhaps their best chance to make up ground against their Eastern Conference foes.

The Sabres finished their longest stint at KeyBank Center this season 3-3-0. Kind of meh.

Overall, having gone 5-3-0 in their last eight outings, they’ve showcased improvement, most notably defensively. Still, they must make up seven points ... Read the full article

Erik Johnson left Thursday’s game early. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Erik Johnson misses practice as other injured Sabres near returns

BUFFALO – Now, the Sabres have four players who are day to day with upper-body injuries.

Defenseman Erik Johnson, who missed Friday’s practice in LECOM Harborcenter, has joined the list. Phillipp Kurashev hit Johnson, 35, awkwardly into the end boards in the third period in Thursday’s 3-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, earning a five-minute major for boarding. Johnson immediately departed the game.

Two of the Sabres with upper-body injures – defenseman Mattias Samuelsson and ... Read the full article

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stops San Jose’s Anthony Duclair with some help from teammate Erik Johnson (6). ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stars in shutout, emerging as Sabres’ starter

BUFFALO – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s run as the Sabres’ starting goalie this season lasted about a week.

Shortly after he grabbed the No. 1 job, he got sick and missed about 10 days. When he returned, rookie Devon Levi had re-established himself following a brief trip to the minors, and the netminders mostly alternated starts about the next month.

But since Dec. 30, Luukkonen, who posted a 28-save shutout in Monday afternoon’s 3-0 win over the ... Read the full article

Mattias Samuelsson went into concussion protocol Saturday. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres generate offense, still lose to Canucks; Mattias Samuelsson leaves game with head injury

BUFFALO – In the second period of Saturday afternoon’s 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, the Sabres had just three defensemen available, so they utilized winger Zemgus Girgensons on the back end for a few shifts.

The Sabres, of course, started the game with six defensemen. But 13 seconds into the second period, Filip Hronek elbowed Mattias Samuelsson in the head, knocking him into concussion protocol out of the contest. At 4:02, J.T. Miller elbowed ... Read the full article

Jeff Skinner has scored six of Buffalo’s 16 power-play goals. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Jeff Skinner week to week with injury; Buffalo makes lineup change

BUFFALO – In a best-case scenario, the Sabres will be without winger Jeff Skinner, their leading goal scorer, for about three or four games.

Skinner, 31, is week to week after suffering an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken. Coach Don Granato said the veteran will be re-evaluated in a week.

So perhaps Skinner, who has rarely been injured during his six seasons in Buffalo, will be back soon.

Still, the ... Read the full article