Free Agency Edition
BUFFALO – Rookie seasons like the one Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin just enjoyed don’t come along very often.
At 18, the Swede quickly morphed into one of the Sabres’ most valuable players, taking over games with his dynamic puck-moving skills and producing offense at a historic rate.
Only one defenseman in NHL history – former Sabres star Phil Housley, who recorded 57 points as an 18-year-old in 1982-83 – compiled more points before his ... Read the full article
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is among three finalists for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year, the league announced today.
St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson were also named with Dahlin.
Dahlin, 19, enjoyed a terrific season, leading all rookie defensemen with 44 points. The Swede’s 35 assists ranked second among all first-year players. So did the 21 minutes, 9 seconds of ice time ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – A seething Phil Housley said it over and over – four times in three minutes, to be exact – following Tuesday’s 3-2 loss, the Sabres’ eight straight setback.
“It’s frustrating because we got screwed,” the Sabres coach said.
To Housley, the Sabres “got screwed” against the Nashville Predators because 2:40 into the second period, winger Conor Sheary scored on a delayed penalty, appearing to tie the game at 2.
The Predators never gained ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – The Sabres’ beleaguered blue line received a much-needed addition Sunday, as Jake McCabe returned after missing 13 games.
Did it help? Well, no. The Columbus Jackets throttled the Sabres 4-0 inside KeyBank Center.
McCabe hadn’t played since suffering an upper-body injury March 2.
Defenseman Marco Scandella, who blocked a shot in Saturday’s ugly 5-1 road loss to the New York Islanders, missed Sunday’s contest. Housley said the Sabres will know more about Scandella’s ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Three-quarters into the season, Jeff Skinner hasn’t shown many signs of cooling off. Having scored a team-high 36 goals through 60 games, the slick winger could become the first Sabre to hit the prestigious 50-goal mark in 26 years.
Entering this afternoon’s home game against the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, Skinner is scoring at a torrid 49-goal pace over his first season with the Sabres.
While Skinner, 26, hasn’t scored in the ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Over the last week or two, Sabres winger Kyle Okposo has finally started showcasing signs of his old self, playing a heavier, straight-line game.
“He’s going to the net a lot better,” Sabres coach Phil Housley said prior to Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning inside KeyBank Center. “I think he’s attacking off the wing and he’s shooting a lot more.”
Not surprisingly, Okposo has started scoring a bit. After enduring ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Nearly 47 years after he first arrived here, Rene Robert hasn’t officially left town. The high-scoring winger and member of the legendary French Connection line still uses “we” when he talks about the Sabres.
Sure, these days, Robert lives much of the year in Punta Gorda, Fla., but he returns every year and spends the summer in Williamsville.
“This is my home,” Robert told the Times Herald on Sunday. “I’ve been here since ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Jack Eichel was at home cooking dinner Tuesday night when his coach, Phil Housley, called and said the Sabres’ brass wanted to meet with him.
So Eichel left and drove to KeyBank Center. When he arrived, Housley, general manager Jason Botterill and owner Terry Pegula told the talented center he would be the 19th full-time captain in Sabres history.
“Really humbling moment,” Eichel said Wednesday inside KeyBank Center, where the Sabres open the ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Right away, the rookie’s skill set – the heavy shot, soft hands and slick speed – wowed Sabres winger Kyle Okposo.
To Okposo, a 10-year NHL veteran, the newcomer “seems to have all the tools” to succeed at hockey’s highest level.
“His release is, I mean, he scored a few goals just kind of in informal skates that just kind of make your eyes open, for sure,” Okposo said Wednesday following a ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – The Sabres have signed first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced today.
Dahlin, perhaps the best defense prospect in decades, is expected to jump into the lineup next season.... Read the full article
