WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
Kevyn Adams has a plan to find a goalie. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
MONTREAL – The assets available in the crowded goalie market keep dwindling every day.
Two more netminders were traded Friday at the NHL Draft, as the St. Louis Blues dealt Ville Husso to the Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Capitals dished Vitek Vanecek to the New Jersey Devils.
The Sabres, who must add another established goalie, have limited options. They tried to acquire Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, but the two-time ... Read the full article
Matthew Savoie was all smiles Thursday. ©2022
MONTREAL – Centers are perhaps the most precious commodity in hockey, and the Buffalo Sabres had built up an impressive stockpile of them before they selected Matthew Savoie ninth overall, Noah Ostlund 16th and Jiri Kulich 28th at the NHL Draft on Thursday.
In 18-year-old youngsters, the Sabres picked three of the most talented pivots in the draft and added to perhaps the league’s deepest group.
In the NHL, the Sabres have skilled centers Dylan ... Read the full article
Matt Murray won two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
MONTREAL – The Buffalo Sabres must keep looking for another goalie.
A potential deal between the Sabres and Ottawa Senators involving Matt Murray was nixed because Buffalo is on the goalie’s 10-team no-trade list, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The Senators would’ve retained some of Murray’s salary and given the Sabres the seventh overall pick in tonight’s NHL Draft in exchange for the 16th selection, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.
“The reality is we worked ... Read the full article
Kevyn Adams could have a career-defining night. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
MONTREAL – General manager Kevyn Adams’ vision for the Buffalo Sabres has started coming together much faster than most observers expected.
It was barely a year ago that Adams, fresh off the Sabres’ dead-last finish, began tackling a daunting rebuild. In his first months on the job in 2020, he had tried to push an older team into the playoffs by acquiring a few notable veterans.
After that team failed spectacularly, Adams implemented his blue ... Read the full article
Victor Olofsson ended the season on a tear. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
MONTREAL – General manager Kevyn Adams said on Wednesday the Buffalo Sabres have been working on a new contract with winger Victor Olofsson, the team’s most prominent restricted free agent.
“We’re in a good spot here,” Adams said inside the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel, the team’s headquarters ahead of the NHL Draft. “Mark Jakubowski, who does a lot of our lead in the negotiating side, has had some good conversations as of late with ... Read the full article
Kevyn Adams is excited for his third NHL Draft as general manager. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – A year ago, the Sabres saw value in Russian prospects, so they drafted four of them, including three straight in the second and third rounds.
Taking a single Russian would’ve been notable; the Sabres hadn’t selected one in five years. Grabbing so many, especially early, indicated general manager Kevyn Adams would operate differently than his predecessors.
The world, of course, has changed a lot over the past year. Russia’s invasion of the ... Read the full article
Craig Anderson could be Buffalo’s No. 1 goalie again. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – When veteran goalie Craig Anderson finished his first season with the Sabres, he wanted to take some time to decompress and evaluate his future.
The Sabres felt Anderson’s impact – in addition to stabilizing their net, he established himself as a leader and mentor on the rebuilding club – and sorely wanted him back for another season.
But Anderson, 41, needed to talk to his family and see how his body felt before ... Read the full article
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen could receive plenty of preseason action. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The Sabres will play six preseason games, including three at KeyBank Center, prior to the 2022-23 regular season, the team announced Thursday.
For the second straight season, the Sabres will play every game in an NHL arena. Broadcast and ticket information will be announced at a later date.
For the second straight year, the Sabres don’t play the Toronto Maple Leafs. The rivals usually play a home-and-home series.
The schedule:
Sept. 25: Buffalo ... Read the full article
Craig Anderson entered the NHL in 2002-03. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The Sabres this morning re-signed 41-year-old goalie Craig Anderson to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.
The 2022-23 season will be Anderson’s 20th in the NHL.
During his end-of-season chat with the media, Anderson said he was undecided on whether he would retire.
Sean Malone enjoyed a terrific offensive season in Rochester. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday rewarded Sean Malone for his breakout year with the Rochester Americans, re-signing the center to a one-year, $750,000 contract.
Malone, 27, seized an opportunity to play an offensive role, setting new career highs last season by registering 20 goals, eight power-play tallies and 37 points in just 39 games for the Sabres’ AHL affiliate. He added two goals and seven points during the Amerks’ 10-game playoff run.
Early in ... Read the full article