Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Lawrence Pilut undergoes shoulder surgery, out five to six months

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Lawrence Pilut underwent successful shoulder surgery and will be sidelined five to six months, the team announced this morning.

Just five weeks into the offseason, two Sabres defensemen – Zach Bogosian had his hip repaired last month – have had surgery and will likely miss training camp and the start of the regular season. Like Pilut, Bogosian needs five to six months to recover.

The Sabres’ dwindling depth, of course, will ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen named OHL’s MVP

Top Buffalo Sabres goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen said his hip started bothering him at the World Junior Championship in late December and early January.

Playing so many games and practicing so often during the short tournament can be tough on players.

“That’s usually when you notice something isn’t right,” Luukkonen, 20, said on a conference call today after being named the Ontario Hockey League’s MVP.

Still, Luukkonen’s hip hardly affected his play.

The former second-round ... Read the full article

Sabres sign Finnish standout Arttu Ruotsalainen to entry-level contract

For the third straight spring, the Buffalo Sabres have signed a standout European player to fill a need.

This morning, the Sabres officially announced Finnish center Arttu Ruotsalainen has inked a three-year, entry-level contract.

The 5-foot-8, 179-pound Ruotsalainen, 21, spent the last four seasons playing at home in SM-liiga. In 2018-19, he scored 21 goals and a team-high 42 points in 59 games for Ilves. His goal total ranked ninth in the league.

The Sabres, ... Read the full article

Report: Sabres interview former NHL coach Dave Tippett

The Buffalo Sabres have interviewed Dave Tippett for their head coaching vacancy, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

In his weekly “31 Thoughts” column, Friedman said the talk with Tippett, who has coached the Dallas Stars and Arizona Coyotes, “went very well.”

After firing Phil Housley, a first-time head coach, the Sabres reportedly want to hire someone more experienced. Tippett, 57, has spent 14 seasons as an NHL head coach. He finished an eight-year run ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Brandon Montour to represent Canada at World Championship

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Brandon Montour was among 22 players Hockey Canada named to its roster today for the upcoming World Championship in Slovakia.

Montour, 25, will be joining Sabres winger Sam Reinhart, 23, on Team Canada. Reinhart said earlier this month he planned to represent his country.

Sabres general manager Jason Botterill, who must hire a coach to replace Phil Housley, is running Canada’s entry with Ron Francis and Ron Hextall. Montour has never represented ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin named finalist for Calder Trophy

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is among three finalists for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year, the league announced today.

St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson were also named with Dahlin.

Dahlin, 19, enjoyed a terrific season, leading all rookie defensemen with 44 points. The Swede’s 35 assists ranked second among all first-year players. So did the 21 minutes, 9 seconds of ice time ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen named OHL’s top goalie

Buffalo Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been named the Ontario Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Year, the junior league announced today.

The Finn, 20, quickly morphed into a star in his first North American season, compiling a sparkling 38-11-2 record with a 2.50 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and six shutouts in 53 games.

The Sudbury Wolves, meanwhile, enjoyed their best season since 1994-95.... Read the full article

Sabres goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen undergoes hip surgery

Top Buffalo Sabres goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has undergone successful hip surgery and is expected to make a full recovery within six months, Rochester Americans general manager Randy Sexton announced this morning.

The could, of course, put the start of Luukkonen’s 2019-20 season in jeopardy. The Finn, 20, will likely be the Amerks’ starting goalie next year.

Luukkonen joined the Amerks earlier this month after a stellar junior season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury ... Read the full article

Promising season over for Amerks after sweep by Marlies

TORONTO – Fresh off a 99-point regular season, the Rochester Americans looked poised to start a long playoff run deep into the spring.

The Buffalo Sabres’ top affiliate possessed a strong mix of prospects and veterans, terrific scoring balance and perhaps the AHL’s best depth.

It was hard to find a weakness on the Amerks, a team constructed to win the Calder Cup.

For an organization that hasn’t won anything on any level in a ... Read the full article

Report: Jacques Martin a leading candidate to coach Sabres

Jacques Martin is a leading candidate to become the Buffalo Sabres’ next head coach, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.

Martin has strong ties to Sabres general manager Jason Botterill, having served as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins since 2013. They won Stanley Cups together in 2016 and 2017 when Botterill was an assistant GM in Pittsburgh.

The Sabres and Ottawa Senators have asked the Penguins permission to talk to Martin, according to Sportsnet’s John ... Read the full article