Summer Edition
Buffalo Sabres winger Kyle Okposo has undergone successful surgery on his right knee and is expected to make a full recovery in six weeks, the team announced this afternoon.
After being relied upon as a scorer his entire career, Okposo, 32, morphed into a strong checking presence in 2019-20, compiling nine goals and 19 points in 59 games. The American spent most of his 13th NHL season playing right wing beside center Johan Larsson and ... Read the full article
In their first five seasons with Jack Eichel, the Buffalo Sabres have been a perennial loser, winning just 39 percent of their games. Despite earning his place among the game’s elite talents, the captain still hasn’t sniffed the playoffs.
This year, the Sabres missed the NHL’s 24-team postseason qualifying round by one win.
When Eichel was drafted second overall in 2015, the thought of the Sabres missing the playoffs for the next five ... Read the full article
Last year, Kyle Okposo and his family decided to sell their home in Minnesota and make Clarence their permanent residence. The roots he laid down in Buffalo have helped the veteran winger develop a unique understanding of how the Sabres’ stunning run of futility has disenchanted a passionate fan base.
“I understand the weight of the team that’s on the city, and I get it, because I now live here full time,” Okposo said on ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Wayne Simmonds doesn’t regret waiving his no-trade clause to join the Sabres two weeks ago.
The Sabres, having crept within six points of a playoff spot, wanted the respected veteran winger to help their push. Meanwhile, Simmonds, an unrestricted free agent following the season, wanted a fresh opportunity after enduring a rough campaign.
So far, the deal – the Sabres sent the New Jersey Devils a conditional fifth-round pick – hasn’t paid many ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Having dropped all four games of their recent road trip, the Sabres sealed their fate long before Thursday’s 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
While the Sabres haven’t officially been eliminated from the playoffs, they will earn their eighth straight DNQ in the coming weeks.
Barely two weeks ago, the Sabres’ slick offense helped them roar back into the playoff race. They scored 23 goals over a six-game stretch, winning five times.
They ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Suddenly, the Sabres have roared back into the playoff chase. A few dreadful losses over the past month seemed to extinguish their faint hope of playing meaningful games down the stretch.
But a perfect weekend moved the fifth-place Sabres to within six points – in these parts, that’s meaningful – of the sputtering Toronto Maple Leafs, who own the Atlantic Division’s final playoff spot.
The trade deadline hits at 3 p.m. today. Are ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – After receiving two starts early in his NHL career, Sabres goalie Jonas Johansson took a backseat to veteran Carter Hutton two weeks ago.
Hutton’s emergence from a long slump allowed the Sabres to utilize him regularly again.
So Johansson, a rookie the Sabres recalled when Linus Ullmark suffered a lower-body injury, patiently waited to play another game.
Prior to earning his first NHL victory in Sunday’s afternoon 2-1 win against the Winnipeg ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Forget about Jimmy Vesey’s slow start. Since the Sabres winger registered his first goal Nov. 25, he has scored nine times in 37 games.
Over a full season, that’s a 20-goal pace. Vesey, 26, has saved his best hockey for the past few weeks, performing more like the player the Sabres likely envisioned when they traded the New York Rangers a third-round pick for him.
The Harvard product has also evolved into ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – After playing 10 straight games, Sabres forward Evan Rodrigues will likely be scratched this afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sabres winger Michael Frolik has recovered from a nasty bout with the flu and is set to return, meaning one forward must sit out.
Based on Friday’s practice lines, Rodrigues will be a healthy scratch for the first time since Jan. 28.
Rodrigues, 26, sat out regularly over the first two months, often serving ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Sabres forwards Jack Eichel, Michael Frolik and Kyle Okposo will likely play in Saturday afternoon’s road game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“At the moment, everybody’s available,” Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said after the three players practiced this morning inside KeyBank Center.
Eichel and Okposo had maintenance days Thursday. The flu, meanwhile, sidelined Frolik the last two games.... Read the full article
