WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
November Edition
Ryan Miller’s situation remains in the air. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – For now at least, starting goalie Ryan Miller and slick winger Thomas Vanek, two veteran stars entering the final seasons of their contracts, are still members of the Sabres.
Sabres general manager Darcy Regier said this morning he has spoken to the players’ agents and both sides plan to continue chatting.
“As I’ve stated before, it’s incumbent upon me to have a sense of what the marketplace is or re-sign them versus allowing ... Read the full article
J.T. Compher (left) and Connor Hurley pose Sunday after being selected in the second round. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
NEWARK, N.J. – More on the Buffalo Sabres’ 2013 NHL Entry Draft selections the Times Herald couldn’t get to earlier:
The Sabres went heavy on college-eligible players by design, using five of their 11 picks on them.
“With so many picks and our contract situation, you don’t want to waste those picks because their contracts all come up at the same time,” amateur scouting director Kevin Devine explained Sunday on the Prudential Center floor after ... Read the full article
Nikita Zadorov couldn’t stop smiling after the Sabres selected him Sunday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
NEWARK, N.J. – It was “pretty close,” general manager Darcy Regier said. The rebuilding Buffalo Sabres could’ve moved up to the No. 5 slot during the NHL Entry Draft, perhaps picked a familiar name the team’s fans had been drooling over.
Ultimately, however, the Sabres decided trading with Carolina wasn’t worth the steep cost. Instead, they kept the eighth overall pick, grabbing big defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen to start their busy day.
“We just thought we’d ... Read the full article
Justin Bailey fields questions Sunday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
NEWARK, N.J. – The memory is seared in Justin Bailey’s mind. The Williamsville native vividly remembers watching from his grandparents’ house as Brett Hull’s disputed “No Goal” eliminated his favorite team, the Buffalo Sabres, from the 1999 Stanley Cup final.
“It was crushing for me,” Bailey said Sunday inside the Prudential Center minutes after the Sabres selected him 52nd overall with their third second-round pick in the NHL Entry Draft.
Even as a 3-year-old, ... Read the full article
Justin Bailey grew up loving the Sabres. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
NEWARK, N.J. – The memory is seared in Justin Bailey’s mind. The Williamsville native vividly remembers watching from his grandparents’ house as Brett Hull’s disputed “No Goal” eliminated his favorite team, the Buffalo Sabres, from the 1999 Stanley Cup final.
“It was crushing for me,” Bailey said tonight inside the Prudential Center minutes after the Sabres selected him 52nd overall with their third second-round pick in the NHL Entry Draft.
Even as a 3-year-old, ... Read the full article
Nikita Zadorov talks with the media this afternoon. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
NEWARK, N.J. – How close were the Buffalo Sabres, who owned the eighth and 16th picks in the NHL Entry Draft, to moving up and grabbing the fifth overall pick?
“Pretty close,” Sabres general manager Darcy Regier said this afternoon inside the Prudential Center.
Carolina chose slick Swedish forward Elias Lindholm at No. 5. The Sabres kept their picks and took defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov.
The Sabres couldn’t have moved up any ... Read the full article
Rasmus Ristolainen speaks with reporters this afternoon. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
NEWARK, N.J. – Rasmus Ristolainen figured he would be selected somewhere around the 10th and 15th picks during the NHL Entry Draft this afternoon. So when the Buffalo Sabres called his name with the No. 8 choice, the Finn was a bit stunned.
“I don’t know what I’m thinking when I heard my name,” Ristolainen said inside the Prudential Center. “It’s awesome.”
The 18-year-old, who spent the last two seasons playing with TPS ... Read the full article
Darcy Regier should be busy today. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
NEWARK, N.J. – By tonight, following what promises to be a busy, even chaotic day at the NHL Entry Draft inside the Prudential Center, the Buffalo Sabres could be radically reshaped for the future.
With four of the first 52 picks in a deep draft, including the eighth and 16th selections, the Sabres should nab some elite prospects. But general manager Darcy Regier’s rebuild goes beyond simply adding draft picks.
Starting goalie Ryan Miller ... Read the full article
The Sabres grabbed Mark Pysyk 23rd overall in 2010. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
NEWARK, N.J. – Since most NHL Entry Drafts don’t start paying dividends for a few years, here’s a look at the Buffalo Sabres’ first-round picks from 2005-10 and some notable hits and misses.
2010
First-round pick: defenseman Mark Pysyk, 23rd overall
After some early struggles in Rochester last season, Pysyk began developing rapidly during his rookie campaign, earning a March recall and a regular spot down the stretch. The smooth 21-year-old could someday be ... Read the full article
Justin Bailey takes a break from the arduous bike test at the NHL Scouting Combine earlier this month. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Justin Bailey didn’t mince words. On June 16, the Williamsville native, a possible second-round pick in Sunday’s NHL Entry Draft, tweeted, “Happy Father’s Day to the closest thing I have to a Dad! Thanks for everything.”
The 17-year-old posted two Instagram photos of him beside his grandfather.
Bailey, a slick winger with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers, has a famous father, former Buffalo Bills linebacker Carlton Bailey. But the ... Read the full article