Summer Edition
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
BUFFALO – Sabres winger Marcus Johansson began his NHL career playing center. When the Washington Capitals needed help there three years ago, he briefly moved back.
So, yes, Johansson, 28, certainly has experience at the position. But the Swede has spent the bulk of his nine-year career skating at left wing.
The Sabres, who signed Johansson to a two-year, $9 million contract on Saturday, need more depth down the middle.
So what role might he ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Sabres winger Marcus Johansson began his NHL career playing center. When the Washington Capitals needed help there three years ago, he briefly moved back.
So, yes, Johansson, 28, certainly has experience at the position. But the Swede has spent the bulk of his nine-year career skating at left wing.
The Sabres, who signed Johansson to a two-year, $9 million contract on Saturday, need more depth down the middle.
So what role might he ... Read the full article
In signing Marcus Johansson to a two-year, $9 million contract on Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres addressed a major need, adding a winger capable of filling a top-six role.
Johansson, 28, can also play center, so he offers the Sabres, who need help down the middle, versatility.
The Swede has played 90 NHL playoff games, more than any other Sabre. He just played 22 contests during the Boston Bruins’ run to the Stanley Cup final.
That ... Read the full article
The Buffalo Sabres made their first notable addition in free agency today, signing winger Marcus Johansson to a two-year, $9 million contract.
Johansson, 28, can skate on the first or second line and, having played 94 career NHL playoff games, possesses more postseason experience than any Sabre.
The Swede can also play center. The Sabres, of course, need someone to pivot the second line.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Johansson has compiled 120 goals, 334 points and ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – General manager Jason Botterill never thought much about winger Jimmy Vesey’s history with the Sabres.
Botterill needed to add more scoring. The fact that Vesey once rejected the Sabres to become a free agent and join the New York Rangers wasn’t going to deter him from addressing a major need.
So on Monday morning, shortly before free agency opened, Botterill sent a third-round pick in 2021 to the Rangers for Vesey.
Besides, it ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Three years ago, the Sabres’ old regime gambled a bit, trading a third-round pick to the Nashville Predators for the rights to the Hobey Baker Award winner Jimmy Vesey.
But the high-scoring college winger rejected the Sabres, waited until mid-August to become a free agent and signed with the New York Rangers.
In his first trip to Buffalo as a rookie, Vesey, of course, was booed.
So the Sabres’ acquisition of Vesey ... Read the full article
Defense prospect Will Butcher, the Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey’s top player last season, will become an unrestricted free agent and visit the Buffalo Sabres, according to the Denver Post.
Butcher, 22, will also visit the New Jersey Devils and the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.... Read the full article
CHICAGO – Forget about former Notre Dame goalie Cal Petersen joining the Buffalo Sabres. The 22-year-old prospect, who left school last month, will elect for free agency, general manager Jason Botterill said Friday morning.
“I don’t believe he’ll be signing with the Buffalo Sabres,” Botterill said hours before the first round of the NHL Draft.... Read the full article
CHICAGO – Forget about former Notre Dame goalie Cal Petersen joining the Buffalo Sabres. The 22-year-old prospect, who left school last month, will elect for free agency, general manager Jason Botterill told reporters this morning.
“I don’t believe he’ll be signing with the Buffalo Sabres,” Botterill said hours before the first round of the NHL Draft.... Read the full article
