Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres notes: Virtual NHL Draft forces changes; Buffalo will pick best player

Instead mingling with his counterparts on the arena floor, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams stayed in Buffalo on Tuesday and ran his first NHL Draft from KeyBank Center with his cellphone close by.

In regular times, the eyes of media members and spectators are often fixated on the floor, the hub of activity during the NHL Draft. The site of two GMs chatting can ignite intense speculation and sometimes means a trade is brewing.

When ... Read the full article

Sabres draft high-scoring winger Jack Quinn with No. 8 pick

The Buffalo Sabres have selected winger Jack Quinn, who scored 52 goals with the Ottawa 67’s last season, eighth overall at the NHL tonight.

The 6-foot, 167-pound Quinn is the first pick under new Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams.

Quinn, who often draws comparisons to Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak, ranked seventh among draft-eligible North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

Quinn, 19, is a bit of a late bloomer. He scored only ... Read the full article

NHL Draft, free agency will be critical tests for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams

The smile on Kevyn Adams’ face said everything. What promises to be the oddest offseason in NHL history is about to kick into high gear, and the Buffalo Sabres’ rookie general manager couldn’t hide his excitement.

During a 30-minute Zoom call Monday, Adams, 45, rarely stopped grinning. After preparing nearly four months throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to reshape the Sabres, Adams and his staff will be busy this week.

Following the NHL Draft – the ... Read the full article

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has no plans to trade Jack Eichel

The Buffalo Sabres have no intention of trading captain Jack Eichel, general manager Kevyn Adams said Monday.

Eichel’s comment following last season he was “fed up” with losing ignited speculation he could want out. Last week, after Eichel’s name surfaced in rumors, TSN’s Bob Mackenzie reported Eichel hadn’t requested a trade and the Sabres had no intention of dealing their top center.

“People call every day,” Adams said on a Zoom call in advance ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Tage Thompson to three-year contract

The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed winger Tage Thompson to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $1.4 million, the team announced Monday.

Thompson, 22, was a restricted free agent.

The American suffered a season-ending right shoulder injury in his 2019-20 Sabres debut Nov. 17. Before earning that recall, he compiled six goals and 12 points in 16 games with the Rochester Americans.... Read the full article

Lake View’s Declan McDonnell on NHL Draft radar

At the beginning of his rookie season, NHL Central Scouting listed Lake View’s Declan McDonnell as a “player to watch.”

McDonnell, 18, doesn’t possess notable size or blazing speed. As the winger was beginning his career with the Kitchener Rangers, he mostly played a third-line role and did not skate on special teams.

But 5-foot-10, 171-pound McDonnell forced scouts to pay attention to him.

“He found a way (to contribute), his name was on the ... Read the full article

Williamsville’s Trevor Kuntar motivated by snubs, happy at Boston College

Trevor Kuntar couldn’t stay put in the crease. Never mind his father, Les, played goalie professionally for six seasons. Never mind everyone on the team had to take a turn in net.

In his lone appearance as a goalie, Kuntar’s penchant for carrying the puck took over. Even dressed in the heavy equipment, the Williamsville native kept grabbing it and skating up the ice.

“I just wouldn’t stay in my net, so that was the ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Andrew Oglevie to two-year contract

The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed winger Andrew Oglevie to a two-year, $1.5 million contract, the team announced today.

The Notre Dame product was a restricted free agent. He has spent the last two seasons with the Rochester Americans.

Oglevie scored 15 times in 55 games last season, tying him with Jean-Sebastien Dea for the Amerks’ goal-scoring lead. Oglevie’s 29 points ranked fourth on the team.

A string of concussions limited stymied Oglevie as ... Read the full article

Johan Larsson’s long career with Sabres could be over

Johan Larsson looked looser early last season. The Sabres center, affectionately nicknamed “Angry Larry,” even occasionally smiled, a rarity throughout his turbulent seven-year career in Buffalo.

Naturally, as the season progressed, the Sabres’ annual implosion sapped some of his happiness.

Still, Larsson, 28, enjoyed perhaps his best NHL campaign. The tenacious Swede entrenched himself between Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo early in 2019-20, helping the trio morph into one of the league’s best checking ... Read the full article

Sabres reward Curtis Lazar’s breakout season with two-year contract

Shortly before the Buffalo Sabres assigned Curtis Lazar to the minors last year, the center confidently stated he knew he belonged in the big leagues.

Joining the Sabres as a free agent had refreshed Lazar, and he believed he could make an impact. But several days later, Lazar, who had played only one NHL game the previous season, would clear waivers and be assigned to the Rochester Americans to start the campaign.

Lazar, however, only ... Read the full article