Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage

Instead of trading first-rounders, Sabres take Daxon Rudolph and Ilia Morozov in NHL Draft

ORCHARD PARK – As the first round of Friday’s NHL Draft approached and he held two first-round picks – the fourth and 20th selections – general manager Jarmo Kekalainen informed other teams the Buffalo Sabres had all their options open.

They were willing to move up or down, or perhaps trade for established talent.

Teams coveted the fourth pick the Sabres acquired in Tuesday’s blockbuster trade that sent defenseman Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks. ... Read the full article

Alex Tuch explains why he left Sabres for Capitals in sign-and-trade deal: ‘One of the toughest moments of my life’

Alex Tuch wants to keep the details of his departure from Buffalo private. The winger just made an agonizing decision, choosing to leave the Sabres in a sign-and-trade deal with the Washington Capitals a week before he could’ve become an unrestricted free agent.

“It was one of the toughest decisions of my life,” Tuch, who inked an eight-year, $84 million contract, said Friday on a Zoom call.

Before the Sabres heated up and roared to ... Read the full article

Sabres select Daxon Rudolph fourth overall in NHL Draft; Ilia Morozov taken with 20th pick

ORCHARD PARK – During the NHL Scouting Combine earlier this month in Buffalo, the Sabres never met with defenseman Daxon Rudolph, the prospect they selected fourth overall tonight in the NHL Draft at KeyBank Center.

Until a few days ago, the Sabres owned just one first-round selection, the 20th pick, which they snared as part of the trade that sent defenseman Michael Kesselring to the San Jose Sharks. They began the month with the 27th ... Read the full article

Sabres trade prospect and 45th pick to Ducks in exchange for Olen Zellweger

The Buffalo Sabres this afternoon possibly found their replacement for Bowen Byram through a trade, acquiring left-shot defenseman Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward prospect Anton Wahlberg and the 45th overall pick in the NHL Draft.

The 5-foot-10, 193-pound Zellweger, 22, is a restricted free agent.

The speedy Zellweger compiled seven goals, 22 points, 34 penalty minutes and a plus-4 rating with the Ducks last season, his second full NHL campaign.... Read the full article

Select or trade? No. 4 pick in NHL Draft gives Sabres interesting options

ORCHARD PARK – Luckily for the Sabres, the NHL, which decentralized its draft last year much to the chagrin of, well, pretty much everyone in the hockey world except for some general managers, still has its top prospects gather in a city.

This week, the festivities are being held in Buffalo, so instead of scrambling after acquiring the fourth overall pick in Tuesday’s blockbuster trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, GM Jarmo Kekalainen and his staff ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Buffalo being removed from no-trade lists; Jarmo Kekalainen drafts best available prospect

ORCHARD PARK – Winning has a funny way of changing things, doesn’t it?

In his dealings this offseason, Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said a couple of agents told him players have removed Buffalo from their no-trade list.

“That’s great news for us,” Kekalainen said Wednesday at One Bills Drive, where the Sabres are headquartered for the NHL Draft, which begins Friday with the first round.... Read the full article

Sabres send Alex Tuch to Capitals in sign-and-trade deal

ORCHARD PARK – Barely nine months ago, as he began the final season of his contract, Alex Tuch said he would love to make Buffalo his long-term home. On Wednesday, with no chance to keep him, the Sabres traded the winger to Washington Capitals.

What changed since the start of training camp?

“I think that’s a question for him,” general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said hours before the Sabres dealt Tuch. “We wanted to sign him.”... Read the full article

Bowen Byram ‘didn’t want to negotiate’ new contract, so Sabres made trade with Blackhawks

ORCHARD PARK – The Sabres tried to convince Bowen Byram to stay in Buffalo. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said he spent all season working on a new contract, calling it his “first priority.”

But Byram, 25, wanted to become a No. 1 defenseman, an opportunity he would likely never have in Buffalo with captain Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson around. So, according to Kekalainen, Byram “didn’t want to negotiate.”

“He wasn’t gonna sign ... Read the full article

After breakout stretch, Sabres’ Zach Benson signs long-term contract

Buffalo Sabres winger Zach Benson has parlayed a breakout stretch in the Stanley Cup Playoffs into a seven-year, $52.5 million contract.

Benson, 21, inked the deal Wednesday, a week before he could’ve become a restricted free agent.

His $7.5 million salary cap hit ranks fourth on the Sabres, trailing only captain Rasmus Dahlin ($11 million), defenseman Owen Power ($8.35 million) and center Josh Norris ($7.95 million).... Read the full article

Sabres won’t re-sign Alex Tuch, will try to trade his rights: ‘He’s moving on’

ORCHARD PARK – Winger Alex Tuch’s career with the Buffalo Sabres is over.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said this afternoon he’s looking to trade Tuch’s rights because he won’t be re-signing with the Sabres. Tuch, 30, can become an unrestricted free agent next Wednesday.

Update: The Sabres have officially traded Tuch to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a third-round pick and forward David Kampf.

Update: Tuch will sign an eight-year extension worth $10.5 million ... Read the full article