Adams - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres stay put in NHL Draft Lottery, have top-10 pick again

For the 10th straight year, the Buffalo Sabres will have a top-10 pick in the NHL Draft.

The Sabres stayed put in Tuesday’s NHL Draft Lottery, receiving the ninth and 16th overall selections.

After finishing 24th overall, the Sabres had just 5 percent odds – the ninth-highest in the lottery – for the top pick.... Read the full article

After sitting out late, will popular Mark Pysyk return to Sabres?

BUFFALO – By the end of the season, after five months of regular duty, Sabres defenseman Mark Pysyk morphed into a spare part.

Down the stretch, the Sabres utilized a blue line comprised entirely of youngsters – Casey Fitzgerald, at just 25, was the oldest defenseman – so Pysyk, Will Butcher and Colin Miller rarely played.

The Sabres scratched Pysyk 13 times over a 22-game stretch, including eight straight contests, before he returned for last ... Read the full article

GM Kevyn Adams has plans for Sabres’ three first-round picks

BUFFALO – As the owner of three first-round picks this year, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has accumulated some substantial draft capital.

If Adams offers one or two of the selections in a trade, he can likely acquire some established talent that might help the upstart Sabres right away.

But Adams, as he has demonstrated throughout the last year, plans to keep exercising patience.... Read the full article

What will Sabres do with captaincy next season?

BUFFALO – The Sabres’ decision to forego naming a captain this season and use veterans Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons as alternates paid dividends.

The rebuilding team quickly came together, and players have expressed the dynamic in the dressing room allows everyone to be themselves.

“When you look at this season, we wanted to be careful to put too much on one guy, especially as we were building and transitioning into this phase,” Adams said ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Ryan Johnson ‘leaning’ toward returning to Minnesota

BUFFALO – Sabres defense prospect Ryan Johnson has indicated he would like to return to Minnesota for his senior season, general manager Kevyn Adams said.

Adams said the Sabres have “had conversations” with Johnson, the 31st overall pick in 2019, about turning pro.

“It’s open-ended a little bit,” Adams said of Johnson’s status Tuesday during his end-of-season news conference at KeyBank Center. “But he’s indicated where he’s at right now, the team they have, the ... Read the full article

Craig Anderson enjoyed ‘amazing’ year with Sabres, undecided on retirement

BUFFALO – If goalie Craig Anderson was in his mid-30s instead of two weeks away from turning 41, re-signing with the Sabres would be a no-brainer.

“If I was five years younger, that would be the ideal situation right now,” Anderson said Saturday of returning to the Sabres. “Yeah, the respect that I received as a player, the respect the players in the room get from management, from the coaching staff. You want to be ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Victor Olofsson knows new contract will ‘take some time’

BUFFALO – Having experienced restricted free agency two years ago, Sabres winger Victor Olofsson understands he must stay patient this offseason.

Olofsson, 26, has already amassed two 20-goal seasons and has shown he possesses the talent to crack the 30-goal mark. Contracts like the one he’s expected to sign are complicated.

The Swede, who’s set to become an RFA again, expects it could take months to reach a new deal.... Read the full article

Upstart Sabres believe they’ve started something special: ‘A different feeling’

BUFFALO – Before center Zemgus Girgensons reported to the rink Saturday morning, his wife, Katie, asked him what he would tell the Sabres’ brass during his end-of-season meetings.

Girgensons, the Sabres’ longest-tenured player, experienced a lot of losing and turmoil over his eight NHL seasons, so in previous years, he had plenty of gripes to share before he left town for the summer.

“Usually in the morning, you’re trying to gather thoughts of all the ... Read the full article

Kyle Okposo enjoying terrific comeback season, at forefront of Sabres’ revival

BUFFALO – On Wednesday, the Sabres, a team two days away from finishing its season, had a group of players on the KeyBank Center ice 25 minutes before their final practice started.

To veteran winger Kyle Okposo, 34, the Sabres’ oldest and most experienced player, that speaks volumes about the group’s passion. The Sabres will miss the playoffs for a record-setting 11th straight year, yet no one seems to want the season to end.... Read the full article

Owen Power’s signing offers upstart Sabres excitement, more hope

As news of Owen Power’s signing spread Friday afternoon, Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said his phone began lighting up with texts from the defenseman’s new teammates.

They wanted to learn when Power, 19, would be joining the Sabres after inking his three-year, entry-level contract and how they could connect with him.

“It says a lot to me of what this group is all about,” Adams said on a Zoom call Friday. “And you ... Read the full article