Pilut - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres make moves, set 23-man roster; JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn stay in Buffalo

BUFFALO – The Sabres on Monday finalized their 23-man regular-season roster, sending goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the minors and placing forward Riley Sheahan on injured reserve with a muscle injury.

That means wingers JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn, both of whom enjoyed dynamic rookie seasons with the Rochester Americans last year, have made the big club.

While Peterka did not stand out during training camp, the Sabres are confident he ... Read the full article

Lawrence Pilut, Chase Priskie and other D help Sabres upgrade depth

BUFFALO – The Sabres have likely known for months which seven defensemen will comprise their opening night roster.

Jacob Bryson, Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju, Casey Fitzgerald, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson entrenched themselves on the blue line last season. In signing Ilya Lyubushkin in free agency, the Sabres added a gritty veteran presence they lacked.

But what about the rest of the defense corps? Given the rugged nature of the position, defensemen are always at ... Read the full article

After weekend transactions, Sabres’ regular-season roster nearly set

BUFFALO – After reassigning 23 players over the weekend, the Sabres nearly have their regular-season roster set.

On Monday, 28 players – 15 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goalies – practiced inside KeyBank Center. The Sabres held one session for the first time in training camp.

They must finalize their 23-man roster by 5 p.m. next Monday.

The Sabres, who have two preseason games left, starting with tonight’s home contest against the Carolina Hurricanes, have ... Read the full article

After two years in KHL, Lawrence Pilut returns to Sabres mature defenseman

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Lawrence Pilut chose his words carefully, refusing to dwell on the past.

In 2020, Pilut bolted overseas, leaving the Sabres to join Chelyabinsk Traktor, a Kontinental Hockey League team in Russia. His decision stunned the Sabres’ old regime, which believed the Swede was on the cusp of securing regular NHL duty.

“I don’t want to talk about that too much,” Pilut, who reportedly wanted a one-way contract as a restricted ... Read the full article

Matt Savoie impressing Sabres; Buffalo to utilize strong lineup against Flyers

BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Matt Savoie has integrated so quickly that coach Don Granato feels comfortable playing the rookie between veterans.

So tonight, less than a week into his first NHL training camp, Savoie, 18, will center Casey Mittelstadt and Kyle Okposo against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Savoie, the ninth overall pick this year, also played in Sunday afternoon’s preseason opener, a 4-3 overtime road win against the Washington Capitals.... Read the full article

After two years away, Lawrence Pilut back with Sabres organization

Defenseman Lawrence Pilut has returned to the Buffalo Sabres organization after a two-year stint in the Kontinental Hockey League.

The Sabres on Friday signed Pilut, 26, to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000 in the NHL and $300,000 in the AHL, according to capfriendly.com. The Swede played 46 NHL games during his first stint with Buffalo.

General manager Kevyn Adams acknowledged earlier this week the Sabres wanted to re-sign Pilut but needed proof his contract ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Ryan Johnson, Erik Portillo could have futures in Buffalo

BUFFALO – Right now, Ryan Johnson acknowledged he’s leaning toward returning to Minnesota for his senior season. Still, the defense prospect hasn’t ruled out turning pro. He plans to use this week’s development camp to evaluate the Sabres.

“I could kind of see where the organization is,” said Johnson, a first-round pick in 2019, 31st overall.

Johnson, who turns 21 on July 24, said if he goes back to college, he could eventually sign with ... Read the full article

Sabres’ development camp roster loaded with top prospects

Eight first-round picks, including all three the Buffalo Sabres selected last week – centers Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich – are on the 43-man development camp roster the team released Monday.

The most anticipated camp in a long time – the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Sabres to cancel it the last two years – begins Wednesday at LECOM Harborcenter.

The roster is loaded with top prospects. Forwards Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn, Isak Rosen ... Read the full article

Three Sabres file for salary arbitration

Three of the Buffalo Sabres’ four remaining restricted free agents – goalie Linus Ullmark and wingers Victor Olofsson and Sam Reinhart – filed for salary arbitration before today’s deadline.

Only defenseman Brandon Montour passed on it.

Update: Montour has signed a one-year, $3.85 million contract.

Filing, of course, doesn’t mean a player will go to arbitration. Negotiations can continue. The sides usually reach a deal before the arbitration hearing.

Last year, four Sabres filed ... Read the full article

Sabres could re-sign Dominik Kahun after passing on qualifying offer

For weeks, there was speculation the Buffalo Sabres would pass on tendering defenseman Brandon Montour a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent.

Considering former general manager Jason Botterill traded a top prospect and a first round pick for Montour in 2019, the thought of letting him go seemed outrageous. But the belief was the Sabres, who have tightened their belts during the COVID-19 pandemic, did not want to pay Montour big money.

Well, Wednesday’s ... Read the full article