Rochester Americans - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres prospect Matej Pekar tenacious presence in return to ice

BUFFALO – Matej Pekar couldn’t stop smiling. After eight months anxiously waiting on the sideline, the Sabres prospect was just hours away from playing a game again.

“It definitely feels like forever,” Pekar said prior to Friday’s 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils in the Prospects Challenge opener. “I haven’t played a game since January.”

On Jan. 10, the affable Pekar, 19, broke his collarbone with the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts, ending his ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Matej Pekar ready for first game action in eight months

BUFFALO – Matej Pekar couldn’t stop smiling. After eight months anxiously waiting on the sideline, the Sabres prospect will finally play a game again tonight.

“It definitely feels like forever,” Pekar said this morning after the Sabres prepared for their Prospects Challenge opener against the New Jersey Devils inside Harborcenter. “I haven’t played a game since January.”

On Jan. 10, the affable Pekar, 19, broke his collarbone with the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts, ending ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Victor Olofsson ready to battle for roster spot

BUFFALO – A splendid rookie season in which winger Victor Olofsson scored 30 goals in the AHL and earned a promotion to the Sabres raised expectations this year.

How many former seventh-round picks are expected to not only secure an NHL roster spot after one year, but also contribute offense on a scoring line? Not many.

Following four seasons in the Swedish Hockey League, Olofsson, 24, acclimated to North American hockey right away in 2018-19, ... Read the full article

Henri Jokiharju impressed Sabres GM Jason Botterill before up-close look

BUFFALO – Sabres general manager Jason Botterill knew of Henri Jokiharju’s talents before he watched the defenseman up close during Team Finland’s run to a gold medal at the World Championship in the spring.

So even if Botterill hadn’t run Team Canada’s entry in Slovakia, the Sabres still might’ve dished winger Alexander Nylander to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Jokiharju on July 9.

“It certainly helps things out to see a player play on ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Remi Elie to one-year, two-way contract

BUFFALO – The Sabres have re-signed winger Remi Elie to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700,000, the team announced today.

Elie and the Sabres settled after this morning’s arbitration hearing.

The Sabres utilized Elie sparingly after claiming him off waivers from the Dallas Stars on Oct. 2, playing him only 16 times before sending him to the AHL in the winter. After recording one assist with the Sabres, the former second-round pick compiled eight goals ... Read the full article

Amerks sign Cheektowaga’s Frank Hora to AHL contract

The Rochester Americans have signed defenseman Frank Hora and forward Shaw Boomhower to one-year AHL contracts, the Buffalo Sabres’ affiliate announced today.

Hora, a Cheektowaga native, spent last season with the ECHL’s Reading Royals, compiling two goals, 17 points and 36 penalty minutes in 70 games.

The 6-foot-2, 209-pound Hora, who attended Buffalo’s development camp in 2016, also made one AHL appearance with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.... Read the full article

Former Sabres, Amerks have landed new contracts all over

On a Rochester Americans team loaded with scorers and high-end AHL talent, goalie Scott Wedgewood’s exploits often got overshadowed.

But for much of the 2018-19 campaign, Wedgewood was the Amerks’ backbone, tending some of the league’s best goal.

After Christmas, Wedgewood won 16 of his first 21 appearances. Overall, he enjoyed a career season, compiling 28 victories and five shutouts in 48 games.

Still, it was evident Wedgewood, 26, would be moving on. The seven-year ... Read the full article

Former Sabres prospect Justin Bailey happy to land with Canucks

Justin Bailey figured he fit in the Flyers’ plans. After arriving via a trade from the Buffalo Sabres organization in January, the Williamsville native shuttled between Philadelphia and the minors, playing 11 NHL games.

“Chuck Fletcher just traded for me in January,” Bailey told the Times Herald. “I got my games, I thought I showcased myself to the best of my ability with the opportunity that was given to me.”

But Fletcher, who took over ... Read the full article

Trading Alexander Nylander was inevitable for Sabres

BUFFALO – Following another underwhelming season, it felt like only a matter of time before the Sabres cut their losses and traded winger Alexander Nylander.

Through three years as a pro, Nylander, the eighth overall pick by the Sabres’ old regime in 2016, has mostly been a bust.

Sure, the Swede has occasionally showcased his slick skills. Still, he hasn’t consistently displayed the tenacity to match them.

Nylander, 21, couldn’t develop into a dominant ... Read the full article

Sabres trade Alexander Nylander to Blackhawks for Henri Jokiharju

BUFFALO – The Sabres traded winger Alexander Nylander to the Chicago Blackhawks today for defenseman Henri Jokiharju, a swap of former first-round picks.

The deal is hardly surprising. Following another underwhelming season in which he battled injuries, Nylander’s days in the organization seemed numbered.

The Swede, the eighth overall pick by the team’s old regime in 2016, never showcased the tenacity to match his array of talents.... Read the full article