Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres don’t extend qualifying offers to Jacob Bernard-Docker, three others

BUFFALO – The Sabres on Monday did not extend an $866,250 qualifying offer to defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, making him a free agent.

They extended qualifying offers to goalie Devon Levi, defensemen Bowen Byram, Ryan Johnson and Conor Timmins and forwards Tyson Kozak and Ryan McLeod.

Byram, Johnson, McLeod and Timmins all have arbitration rights. Bernard-Docker had them before the Sabres did not qualify him.

Forwards Aleksandr Kisakov, Bennett MacArthur and Tyler Tullio – ... Read the full article

Sabres pick David Bedkowski morphed from ‘soft’ rookie into tough prospect

ORCHARD PARK – By his own admission, Buffalo Sabres prospect David Bedkowski arrived in the Ontario Hockey League as a “really soft” 15-year-old.

The toughness that has become the 6-foot-4, 221-pound right-shot defenseman’s greatest asset was non-existent.

“That wasn’t really part of my game at all,” Bedkowski said on a Zoom call Saturday after the Sabres selected him in the third round, 71st overall, in the NHL Draft.

So Derek Laxdal, his coach with the ... Read the full article

Sabres stay busy by trading for Conor Timmins; Bowen Byram’s future seems uncertain

ORCHARD PARK – When general manager Kevyn Adams called Conor Timmins to inform him the Sabres had acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins, the defenseman was at his parents’ cottage just across the border in Fort Erie, Ontario.

As he spoke to Adams on Saturday from the backyard, Timmins, who grew up a Sabres fan about 30 miles away from Buffalo in St. Catharines, said he could see KeyBank Center, the rink he will now ... Read the full article

NHL Draft Tracker: Sabres select David Bedkowski 71st overall, take goalies

ORCHARD PARK – The Buffalo Sabres this afternoon selected right-shot defenseman David Bedkowski in the third round, 71st overall, in the NHL Draft.

“Looking at myself with these colors, the Blue and Gold, it’s truly an out-of-body experience for me,” Bedkowski, proudly sporting a Sabres jersey, said on a Zoom call from Los Angeles. I’m super excited to be going to Buffalo

The 6-foot-5, 221-pound Bedkowski compiled three goals, seven points and 73 penalty minutes ... Read the full article

Sabres trade Connor Clifton and draft pick to Penguins for Conor Timmins and minor leaguer

ORCHARD PARK – The Sabres this afternoon traded defenseman Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick in the NHL Draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defensemen Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau.

Timmins, 26, has compiled six goals, 46 points and 64 penalty minutes in 159 career NHL games with the Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche.

The 6-foot-3, 213-pound Timmins registered three goals, 15 points and 30 penalty minutes in ... Read the full article

NHL Draft: Sabres had trade talks prior to taking Radim Mrtka; Buffalo planned to re-sign JJ Peterka

ORCHARD PARK – Up until the Buffalo Sabres selected defenseman Radim Mrtka ninth overall in Friday’s NHL Draft, general manager Kevyn Adams said he was having conversations with his counterparts about trading the pick.

Leading up to the draft, Adams seemed open to dealing his first-rounder for talent that could immediately help the Sabres. He wasn’t, however, going to trade it for the sake of it.

“There weren’t deals that I felt would have made ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: NHL Draft prospect Haoxi ‘Simon’ Wang left family in China to pursue hockey career in Toronto

ORCHARD PARK – Five years ago, NHL Draft prospect Haoxi “Simon” Wang took a life-changing risk, leaving his family in China to pursue a hockey career in Toronto.

Wang, who turns 18 on July 27, spoke little English and had no guarantees when he left Beijing. He was hardly a phenom. He simply loved hockey.

His parents saw his devotion to the sport and allowed him to move 6,500 miles away to Canada.... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Jack Quinn to two-year contract

ORCHARD PARK – The Buffalo Sabres on Friday re-signed winger Jack Quinn to a two-year, $6.75 million contract.

The contract’s $3.375 million average annual value is the ninth highest on the Sabres.

Quinn, who could’ve become a restricted free agent Tuesday, is coming off an inconsistent season in which he often struggled but set career highs by scoring 15 goals and 39 points in 74 games.... Read the full article

NHL Draft: Sabres select Radim Mrtka ninth overall

ORCHARD PARK – Early last season, Radim Mrtka, the right-shot defenseman the Buffalo Sabres selected ninth overall tonight at the NHL Draft, briefly played pro hockey in his native Czechia.

While he enjoyed competing against men, he received limited action. If he wanted to keep developing, he needed more minutes. So he chose to play junior for the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds.

The 6-foot-6, 218-pound Mrtka arrived in North America unable to speak or ... Read the full article

Michael Kesselring, Josh Doan thrilled for chance trade to Sabres offers

When defenseman Michael Kesselring recently played alongside Sabres winger Tage Thompson with Team USA at the World Championship, he joked KeyBank Center in Buffalo was his favorite NHL arena.

On Nov. 12, 2023 in Buffalo, Kesselring scored his first NHL goal for the Arizona Coyotes against, of all goalies, Devon Levi, his former college teammate at Northeastern.

“So I can give him a little more crap about it a little bit more often now,” joked ... Read the full article