New Jersey Devils - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres to hold Taylor Hall out against Devils as trade deadline nears

Buffalo Sabres winger Taylor Hall, who will likely be traded before Monday’s deadline, will be held out of tonight’s road game against the New Jersey Devils, interim coach Don Granato said.

The move makes sense. Why risk an asset to injury?

Hall, 29, can become an unrestricted free agent following the season. He has a no-movement clause in the one-year, $8 million contract he signed with the Sabres.... Read the full article

Sabres want to give prospect Arttu Ruotsalainen look before season ends

BUFFALO – Arttu Ruotsalainen’s pro experience belies his prospect status. The Sabres rookie played six seasons in Liiga, Finland’s top pro circuit. When he left Ilves earlier this season, he had scored a league-leading 16 goals in only 19 games.

Ruotsalainen, 23, arrived here for training camp barely three months ago close to a finished product. So it wasn’t surprising the center earned his first NHL recall after playing just 13 games with the Rochester ... Read the full article

Changes could be coming to Sabres: ‘Guys expect something’

Everything was set up nicely Tuesday for the Buffalo Sabres to end their marathon losing steak.

In the New Jersey Devils, the hapless Sabres faced another reeling team they have earned three of their six wins against this season.

The Devils, who also endured a long COVID-19 pause last month, had 11 lost straight games at Prudential Center. Overall, they had dropped four straight contests and 12 of their last 14.

But the Sabres, who ... Read the full article

Sabres recall Henri Jokiharju from taxi squad, make other moves

The Buffalo Sabres recalled defenseman Henri Jokiharju, who had sat out five out the last six games, from the taxi squad prior to Tuesday’s 3-2 road loss to the New Jersey Devils.

The Sabres also summoned defenseman Brandon Davidson from the taxi squad and sent rookie defenseman Jacob Bryson and center Rasmus Asplund back to the practice group.

Jokiharju, 21, established himself as one of the Sabres’ steadiest defensemen last season while playing all ... Read the full article

Sabres lose Jack Eichel, Linus Ullmark to injuries, game to Devils

BUFFALO – Sabres forward Riley Sheahan knew captain Jack Eichel was a little banged up heading into Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

Still, Sheahan, a fourth-line winger, never expected he would be thrust into Eichel’s spot as the No. 1 center following the pregame warm-up.

“I … saw the lineup had changed and my name was up there with (Victor Olofsson) and (Sam Reinhart),” Sheahan, who opened the scoring, said on a Zoom ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Ristolainen nearing return after rough battle with COVID-19

BUFFALO – In back-to-back outings prior to testing positive for COVID-19, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen played a total of 55 minutes, more than any player who participated in those games.

But the virus weakened the 6-foot-4, 221-pound Ristolainen so much he struggled to walk up the stairs of his home, he told a Finnish newspaper. He said Thursday morning he had no idea what could happen next as he battled COVID-19. He experienced a new ... Read the full article

Lower-body injury forces Sabres to scratch Jack Eichel against Devils

BUFFALO – A lower-body injury forced the Sabres to make captain Jack Eichel a late scratch for tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

The center did not skate this morning but participated in the pregame warm-up before the Sabres announced he would not play.

Eichel appeared to hurt his ankle in a collision with New Jersey’s Nico Hischier in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Devils. He winced in pain but remained in the game.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jeff Skinner skates with taxi squad, to be healthy scratch again

BUFFALO – When the Sabres convened on the KeyBank Center ice Thursday morning, winger Jeff Skinner was absent.

After the session ended, coach Ralph Krueger said the 13 forwards on the ice would either play or warm up tonight.

So where was Skinner? Krueger said he skated with the taxi squad this morning.

Right now, Skinner, who will be a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game tonight, can’t even crack the Sabres’ main practice ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Kyle Okposo starting to find groove following slow start

BUFFALO – In the waning seconds of Tuesday’s 4-1 win, Sabres winger Kyle Okposo grabbed the puck high in his zone and cleared it out just past the blue line.

A second later, center Cody Eakin scooped it up, skated through the neutral zone and scored an empty-net goal just before time expired against the New Jersey Devils.

In his 11th game this season, Okposo finally recorded his first point.

Okposo, 32, has started his ... Read the full article

Sabres bounce back to beat Devils, close road trip on high note

With the losses and injuries mounting, few expected the Buffalo Sabres, a team known for wilting under adversity, would close what had been a disappointing road trip by putting together one of their best efforts this trying season.

But the Sabres, fresh off a setback coach Ralph Krueger called the most painful of their 10 this year, responded with a complete team effort Tuesday, beating the New Jersey Devils 4-1 at Prudential Center.

Victor Olofsson ... Read the full article