Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Zenon Konopka ready to play after finger surgery; Tyler Ennis out tonight

BUFFALO – In Minnesota’s fifth game of the season Oct. 12, Sabres center Zenon Konopka broke his left pinky finger. Still, he wouldn’t leave the lineup. He even fought six times with the injury.

Finally, Konopka, a waiver pickup from the Wild last month, underwent surgery during the Olympic break.

“It was bugging me quite a bit,” Konopka, who will return tonight against the Boston Bruins, said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “So ... Read the full article

GM Tim Murray looking to trade Ryan Miller, goalie understands long Sabres career might end soon

BUFFALO – The Sabres could still realistically re-sign franchise goalie Ryan Miller, rookie general manager Tim Murray said. That, however, isn’t “the route we’re looking at right now.”

“Our priority right now on both sides is to pursue a proper trade,” Murray said Tuesday in a brutally honest interview prior to Miller’s 36-save performance in the Sabres’ 3-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The trade deadline hits one week from today. Murray sounds ready ... Read the full article

Sabres tough guy John Scott subs as defenseman; Cody McCormick returns from finger injury

BUFFALO – A day after Ted Nolan told him to leave the ice for practicing poorly, John Scott said he and the interim Sabres coach are “fine now.”

In fact, the tough guy, a regular winger, played defense Tuesday, his natural position.

“I’m surprised that that happened,” Scott said prior to the Sabres’ 3-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes inside the First Niagara Center. “It was kind of a weird event. I’ve never seen ... Read the full article

Sabres GM Tim Murray trying to trade goalie Ryan Miller, ‘put him in a position to succeed’

BUFFALO – It’s still realistic the Sabres could re-sign franchise goalie Ryan Miller, general manager Tim Murray said. That, however, isn’t “the route we’re looking at right now.”

“We’re looking … to get value for him, to put him in a position to succeed,” Murray, a rookie GM, said tonight inside the First Niagara Center.

The trade deadline’s just eight days away and the rebuilding Sabres, the NHL’s worst team, are looking to deal.

Here ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Cody McCormick ready to return from finger injury

BUFFALO – Hard-nosed forward Cody McCormick, the Sabres’ most prolific fighter, understands injuries accompany his role.

“For me, I think if you’re not hurt, you’re not really playing in my role,” McCormick said Sunday. “I think everybody that’s in my role is bumped or bruised, something like that.”

McCormick has been hurt most of the season, missing 32 games, including the last 24 with a finger injury.

The 30-year-old will return tonight against ... Read the full article

Sabres tough guy John Scott ‘fine’ with Ted Nolan after practice incident, set to play defense tonight

BUFFALO – A day after Ted Nolan told him to leave the ice for practicing poorly, John Scott said he and the interim Sabres coach are “fine now.”

In fact, the tough guy, a regular winger, will play defense tonight, his natural position.

“I’m surprised that that happened,” Scott said about the incident this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “It was kind of a weird event. I’ve never seen that happen before in ... Read the full article

Sabres ready for hectic schedule following Olympic break, know changes are coming

BUFFALO – Trade rumors have dogged Matt Moulson since the Sabres acquired the winger almost four months ago. But with rosters frozen for 16 days during the NHL’s Olympic break, Moulson briefly got away from the noise, rehabbed his rib injury and relaxed a bit.

“It was good to just go home and train and get healthy again and spend some family time,” Moulson said Monday inside the First Niagara Center.

Moulson and the Sabres ... Read the full article

Ted Nolan orders Sabres tough guy John Scott off practice ice

BUFFALO – About halfway through this morning’s practice, Sabres tough guy John Scott broke his stick on the boards, left the First Niagara Center ice and stomped down the hallway to the dressing room.

What happened?

Interim Sabres coach Ted Nolan ordered Scott off the ice.

“He just fumbled the puck a few times in practice and I didn’t like it,” Nolan said. “In order for us to get better here we have to practice ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Mike Weber confident he’s playing well despite NHL-worst rating

BUFFALO – Mike Weber knows the number looks terrible. In 43 games this season, the gritty Sabres defenseman has accumulated a stunning minus-32, the NHL’s 824th and worst rating.

In what was supposed to be his breakout campaign, Weber has become one of the fans’ whipping boys during the worst season in franchise history.

But Weber believes his big minus rating is a bit misleading.

As a defensive defender, the 26-year-old’s never going to ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Steve Ott says Buffalo ‘holds a big piece of my heart’

BUFFALO – Players of Steve Ott’s ilk – tough, versatile leaders with a scoring touch – are precious commodities. That’s why the Sabres captain should be in high demand before the NHL’s March 5 trade deadline. The winger could fetch at least a first-round draft pick.

Ott, an unrestricted free agent following the season, said today he hasn’t had any contact talks. He’s repeatedly said he’d love to stay with the rebuilding Sabres.

But what ... Read the full article