WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
Bowen Byram has one year left on his contract. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres completed a blockbuster trade with the Blackhawks tonight, sending defenseman Bowen Byram and winger Jordan Greenway to Chicago in exchange for the fourth overall pick in Friday’s NHL Draft, the 45th selection and defenseman Louis Crevier.
Now, does general manager Jarmo Kekalainen have another move up his sleeve? Will the Sabres, who host the draft Friday and Saturday at KeyBank Center, make their early pick? Or could they package it with, say, ... Read the full article
Victor Plante goes through fitness testing June 6 at the NHL Scouting Combine in LECOM Harborcenter. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Call it a perk of carrying on the family tradition. When NHL Draft prospect Victor Plante went on a recruiting visit to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where his brothers, Max and Zam, star for the Bulldogs, he was promised a shift alongside two of college hockey’s most dynamic scorers.
Victor, 18, is the youngest of the bunch, meaning he has never been teammates with his brothers.
To play even 30 seconds on a ... Read the full article
Devon Levi has played 39 games for Buffalo. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – On Jan. 20, 2025, following two months in the minors, goalie Devon Levi made a rare start for the Sabres, stopping 28 shots in a 6-4 road loss to the Kraken.
A day later, they sent Levi back to the AHL, where he spent the next season and a half with the Rochester Americans.
No one knew it that day in Seattle, but Levi, once a prospect so highly regarded that many viewed ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin and the Sabres play four preseason games. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres will play four preseason games next season, including two at KeyBank Center, the team announced Tuesday.
Broadcast and ticket information will be released at a later date.
The preseason slate has been reduced from six to four contests because the NHL expanded its regular-season schedule to 84 games.... Read the full article
Bowen Byram is a huge part of Buffalo’s success. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – You can be sure Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has been fielding calls from his counterparts inquiring about the availability of Bowen Byram, who can become an unrestricted free agent next year.
As a puck-moving defenseman fresh off a career-best 11-goal, 42-point season and some standout performances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Byram, 25, is a coveted asset as he enters his prime.
GMs are simply doing their due diligence. Kekalainen should listen ... Read the full article
Michael Kesselring played sparingly down the stretch last season. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
Almost a year ago, the Buffalo Sabres made their biggest move of the offseason, acquiring right-shot defenseman Michael Kesselring as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade with the Utah Mammoth.
Today, after playing just 34 games last season, Kesselring, 26, is a member of the San Jose Sharks.
The Sabres on Wednesday made their first move this offseason, trading Kesselring and the 27th overall pick in the NHL Draft on June 26 in Buffalo to ... Read the full article
Vinny Prospal spent three seasons in Rochester. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
Vinny Prospal, who spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans, has joined Jim Montgomery’s staff as an assistant with the St. Louis Blues, the NHL team announced Monday.
In his tenure with the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate, Prospal, 51, played a prominent role in the development of some of their top young forwards, including Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich and Noah Ostlund.
This marks the first NHL coaching job ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin enjoyed a dynamic season. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin on Friday was named an NHL Second Team All-Star for the first time in his eight-year career.
Dahlin, Buffalo’s captain, registered some gaudy numbers this season, scoring 19 goals and a career-high 74 points and in 77 games as the Sabres earned their first berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011.
The Sabres defeated the Boston Bruins in the first round before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in a ... Read the full article
John Tortorella talks during a recent news conference. ©2026, Benjamin Hager, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Rick Dudley said he had no idea what he would’ve done if the Sabres had said no. John Tortorella had been his right-hand man, serving as an assistant coach alongside him with the New Haven Knighthawks, the Los Angeles Kings’ top affiliate.
In the one season they had worked together, Dudley and Tortorella led a team expected to finish at the bottom of the AHL to the Calder Cup final.
Now, having earned his first ... Read the full article
Konsta Helenius enjoyed a terrific season in Rochester. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
For the second consecutive year, Rochester Americans center Konsta Helenius, who finished the season with the Buffalo Sabres, has earned a spot on the AHL’s Top Prospects Team.
Helenius, who turned 20 on May 11, played his first nine NHL games this season before the Sabres recalled him from the Amerks and inserted him into the lineup in their second-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Finn scored 21 goals and a team-high ... Read the full article