Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres missed Kyle Okposo’s leadership

BUFFALO – How valuable is Kyle Okposo to the Sabres? They went 4-11-1 without the winger in his first season here. After a mysterious illness sidelined him late, they closed the disappointing campaign 1-5.

Okposo was discharged from the Neuro Surgical ICU at Buffalo General Hospital on Friday, according to WIVB.

Sabres coach Dan Bylsma had no update on Okposo, 28, on Monday.

On the ice, Okposo compiled 19 goals and 45 points in ... Read the full article

Dan Bylsma, players take blame for Sabres’ poor season

BUFFALO – Two seasons removed from a deep rebuild, the Sabres never expected to be a Stanley Cup contender, coach Dan Bylsma said.

Still, they never thought they would rank among the NHL’s bottom-feeders again.

Instead of building off their 27-point improvement in 2015-16, they imploded down the stretch this season, finishing last in the Atlantic Division and missing the playoffs – their big goal – by a whopping 17 points.... Read the full article

Disappointing season leaves Sabres’ Jack Eichel seething

BUFFALO – Jack Eichel looked like he would’ve rather been anywhere else. The Sabres center was restless throughout his six-minute chat with the media Monday, mostly giving terse statements and looking around as he stood at a podium.

Eichel, 20, isn’t handling the Sabres’ last-place finish in the Atlantic Division – they also ended 2016-17 an embarrassing 15th in the 16-team Eastern Conference – very well.

“It’s tough,” a seething Eichel said inside KeyBank Center ... Read the full article

Coach Dan Bylsma ‘going forward’ with Sabres after disappointing season

BUFFALO – Jack Eichel looked like he would’ve rather been anywhere else. The Sabres center was fidgety throughout his six-minute chat with the media this afternoon, mostly giving short answers.

Eichel, 20, isn’t handling the Sabres’ last-place finish in the Atlantic Division – they also ended 2016-17 an embarrassing 15th in the 16-team Eastern Conference – very well.

“It’s tough,” a seething Eichel said inside KeyBank Center as the Sabres held end-of-season meetings. “You’re not ... Read the full article

Paul Byron, Sabres’ Tyler Ennis share special memories of early days

BUFFALO – Paul Byron and Tyler Ennis laughed and sounded nostalgic remembering their days growing up together as rookie roommates in the Sabres organization.

Byron, according to Ennis, is “not very good at video games.”

“A liar,” said a smiling Byron called Ennis on Wednesday.

These days, Byron and Ennis are happy NHL veterans.... Read the full article

Sabres sign West Seneca’s Sean Malone to entry-level contract

BUFFALO – The Sabres have signed West Seneca’s Sean Malone to a two-year, entry-level contract, the team announced this morning.

Update: Malone will make his NHL debut tonight at center against the Panthers, according to reports out of Florida.

Malone, a forward the Sabres drafted in the sixth round, 159th overall, in 2013, played four years at Harvard University.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Malone, 21, compiled 42 goals, 99 points and a plus-31 rating in 115 ... Read the full article

Goalie Robin Lehner wants Sabres to be more accountable

BUFFALO – Robin Lehner’s view from the crease has offered the goalie a unique perspective into the highs and lows the Sabres have endured throughout a wildly inconsistent season that has two games left.

To Lehner, who often talks passionately about the Sabres’ struggles, the most disappointing part is “seeing us playing so well in certain stretches, certain periods, certain small (parts) of the games.”

“We could totally dominate the top the teams in this ... Read the full article

Report: Sabres’ Kyle Okposo discharged from hospital

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Kyle Okposo has been discharged from Buffalo General Hospital, according to WIVB’s Tom Martin.

Okposo, 28, was hospitalized in the Neuro Surgical ICU, according to multiple reports.

The Sabres have said little about the likable Okposo, their NHL All-Star this season, only releasing a statement late Wednesday saying he was under the care of their doctors and they would have no further comment.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jake McCabe on benching: ‘I’m not going to lose sleep over it’

BUFFALO – On Wednesday, the same night the Sabres honored Jake McCabe as their Unsung Hero, coach Dan Bylsma scratched the defenseman because of some recent gaffes.

McCabe has morphed into a top contributor this season, skating almost 21 minutes a night, sometimes on the first pair. So getting benched, even after a poor stretch, was a bit surprising.

“I’m not going to lose sleep over it,” a curt McCabe said this morning inside HarborCenter. ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tyler Ennis feeling healthy again

BUFFALO – It’s the surest sign Tyler Ennis has regained some of his slick form after undergoing early-season groin surgery and struggling for months. The speedy Sabres winger has started showcasing his old burst.

Just over halfway into Wednesday’s 2-1 win, a rebound squirted into the slot between two Montreal Canadiens defensemen. Ennis read the play perfectly, zooming in and beating them to the loose puck.

A split-second later, Ennis scored his first goal since ... Read the full article