The post-Pominville era begins Friday.

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Vanek
Jochen Hecht has played 10 seasons with the Sabres. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:08:13
Adams, Hecht, Kaleta, New Jersey Devils, Patrick, Pominville, Rolston, Scott, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
1

BUFFALO – Thirty-one days ago, it appeared Jochen Hecht’s long career here could be ending. In his fifth game as interim coach, Ron Rolston scratched the versatile forward, the first benching of his 10-season Sabres career. Rolston had already slashed the German’s minutes dramatically.

Hecht, a favorite of former coach Lindy Ruff, was seething.

But Rolston complimented Hecht’s play following the scratch, saying the German was only benched so the Sabres could add some toughness.

Hecht has played all 14 games since then. …

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Thomas Vanek will miss his sixth straight game tonight. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:07:13
Miller, New Jersey Devils, Rolston, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
1

BUFFALO – Forget about the other seven or eight teams battling for that final Eastern Conference playoff berth. The 12th-place Sabres simply need to keep winning games and mind their own business.

“We’ve been same story, focused on the game in front of us like a lot of teams are doing in our situation, where they got to get points out of every game to make the playoffs,” interim coach Ron Rolston said this morning after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s …

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Ville Leino missed the first 27 games this season. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:06:13
Leino, Rolston, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Ville Leino, out the last three games with what interim coach Ron Rolston called an upper body injury, is out indefinitely.

Rolston said Leino’s injury doesn’t require surgery.

While Rolston wouldn’t speculate, with only 10 games left, the Finn’s season could be over.

A hip injury sidelined Leino the first 27 games this season.

Meanwhile, winger Thomas Vanek practiced again today but will likely miss Sunday’s game against New Jersey.

“He is getting better, yeah, but I don’t think he’ll be …

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Steve Ott skates this morning. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:05:13
Gerbe, Hodgson, Ott, Ottawa Senators, Pominville, Regier, Rolston, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – Steve Ott said this morning the captaincy isn’t on his radar. The gritty winger, arguably the Sabres’ biggest heart-and-soul-player, received an assistant captaincy for the rest of the season after captain Jason Pominville was traded Wednesday.

Getting the “C” next year seems like a natural progression for popular 30-year-old veteran.

“I truly want to just be a hockey player on this team,” Ott said inside the First Niagara Center after preparing for tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators.

Still, Ott was …

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Thomas Vanek drove Jason Pominville to the airport Thursday morning. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:05:13
Leopold, Miller, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators, Pominville, Regehr, Regier, Rolston, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
1

BUFFALO – Darcy Regier’s strong words stuck with Thomas Vanek. Prior to Saturday, the general manager had never publicly made any of his Sabres available to other teams during his long tenure. At that point, four days before trade deadline, the slick winger knew major changes could hit the Sabres.

Sure enough, Regier dealt captain Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday for two prospects and two draft picks.

It could just be the first of several major moves.

“Now with Jason …

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Jason Pominville played his first game with the Wild on Thursday. ©2013, DAn Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:05:13
Gerbe, Hackett, Hodgson, Larsson, Minnesota Wild, Ott, Ottawa Senators, Pominville, Regier, Rolston, Stafford, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – Jason Pominville felt his 11-year run with the Sabres organization could be ending. Before Wednesday’s trade deadline, the struggling team asked its captain to submit a list of eight clubs he could refuse a trade to. The Sabres, a colossal disappointment this season, seemed ripe for a major shakeup.

Still, when Sabres general manager Darcy Regier called Wednesday and said he had been traded to Minnesota, the star winger was shocked.

“It’s still a shock,” Pominville told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune …

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Thomas Vanek wants to talk to management. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:04:13
Leopold, Miller, Minnesota Wild, Ott, Pominville, Regehr, Regier, Rolston, Stafford, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – After trading captain Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild, general manager Darcy Regier said the Sabres’ reconstruction could take some time.

Slick winger Thomas Vanek recently said he “would probably look in the other direction” if the Sabres had a two- or three-year plan.

So, did Wednesday’s deal, coupled with earlier trades of defensemen Jordan Leopold and Robyn Regehr, change Vanek’s mind?

“Probably, I mean, obviously we gave up three good players in the last week, got a lot of picks …

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Luke Adam spent more than a year in the minors. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:03:13
Adam, Biega, Crosby, Flynn, Hasek, Leino, Miller, Pardy, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pominville, Porter, Portland Pirates, Regehr, Rochester Americans, Scott, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

PITTSBURGH – One day this winter, Luke Adam finally had enough. The 22-year-old cleared his head and stopped wondering about his future with the Buffalo Sabres.

In just a few months last season, Adam suffered a stunning decline, morphing from a first-line NHL scoring threat into a forgotten AHL player repeatedly bypassed for recalls.

But fretting wasn’t helping Adam’s career.

“That’s what got me in trouble,” Adam said Tuesday prior to the Sabres’ 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins inside Consol Energy Center, …

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Jason Pominville has played 577 games with the Sabres. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:02:13
Adam, Leino, Pardy, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pominville, Regehr, Regier, Rochester Americans, Rolston, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

PITTSBURGH – Following the Buffalo Sabres’ morning skate, captain Jason Pominville politely declined to say whether he has given general manager Darcy Regier a list of eight teams he wouldn’t like to be traded.

Pominville sure sounded like he has submitted a list, though.

“I don’t want to answer by yes or no, but what I can say is Darcy has a job to do, and for him to be able to that in my case, in guys that have these kind …

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Robyn Regehr crunched Milan Lucic on Sunday, his last Sabres appearance. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:02:13
Adam, Brennan, Crosby, Leino, Leopold, Los Angeles Kings, Miller, Myers, Pardy, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pominville, Regehr, Regier, Rochester Americans, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

PITTSBURGH – Robyn Regehr’s absence from Buffalo Sabres practice Monday morning inside the First Niagara Center raised eyebrows.

With Wednesday’s deadline approaching, had the veteran defenseman waived his no-trade clause and been dealt?

The 32-year-old was just enjoying a maintenance day off the ice.

Shortly after practice ended around noon, Regehr walked into the dressing room and said he couldn’t “say yes or no right now” about ditching his no-trade clause again, which he waived in 2011 to leave Calgary.

But Monday night, the …

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