WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Late-Season Edition
Tyson Jost (17) pursues the puck last season with teammate Kyle Okposo behind him. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
Following the end of his first season in Buffalo, center Tyson Jost talked about what a special group he had joined and how badly he wanted to return to the Sabres.
On Friday, the Sabres did not give Jost, 25, a qualifying offer, meaning he can become an unrestricted free agent when the market opens Saturday.
General manager Kevyn Adams, however, has said he wants Jost to return. By not extending him an offer as ... Read the full article
Casey McCarthy grew up in Clarence. ©2023
NASHVILLE – The daily challenges an NHL general manager faces can keep you awake at night, Kevyn Adams said. Still, moments like the one he experienced Thursday at the NHL Draft table can make all the stress worth it.
After the Buffalo Sabres drafted defenseman Gavin McCarthy in the third round, 86th overall, he walked down to meet Adams and other members of the team.
McCarthy’s excitement made Adams’ mind flash back to all the ... Read the full article
Jack Quinn scored 14 goals as a rookie. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
NASHVILLE – Following a 14-goal rookie season, Buffalo Sabres winger Jack Quinn was expected to become a significant contributor in the upcoming campaign.
But the start of his sophomore season will be delayed months after he tore his Achilles tendon while training earlier this week. He underwent successful surgery Wednesday.
Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams wouldn’t speculate on a timeline for Quinn’s return, only saying it was “significant” and he will make a full recovery. ... Read the full article
Not a lot of early picks change hands on the draft floor. ©2023
NASHVILLE – For first time since 2012, the Buffalo Sabres did not have a top-10 pick at the NHL Draft, meaning general manager Kevyn Adams likely had fewer teams trying to pry away his first selection.
Given the amount of high-end talent available early, teams are usually reluctant to part with one of the first 10 choices. This year, no trades were made in the entire first round.
“That’s shocking,” said Adams, who tried to ... Read the full article
Kevyn Adams has rebuilt the Sabres the way he wanted. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
NASHVILLE – Given their success last season and the talent they boast, you wonder if the Buffalo Sabres might take a big swing during the NHL Draft.
General manager Kevyn Adams has methodically rebuilt his team, refusing to take shortcuts that might jeopardize sustained long-term success. But they’re finally knocking on the door, having come within one win of earning that elusive playoff berth.
Adams possesses a stable of assets, including the 13th pick tonight ... Read the full article
Victor Olofsson scored 28 goals last season. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
NASHVILLE – In the case of Sabres winger Victor Olofsson, both sides are willing to accept blame for his disappointing season.
Despite scoring a career-high 28 goals, Olofsson sat out seven late-season games as a healthy scratch, including five critical contests down the stretch.
“He knows he could’ve maybe performed at certain times,” Adams said Tuesday in the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.
On the other hand, Adams said “maybe we need to make sure that we’re ... Read the full article
Gavin McCarthy (left) and Quentin Musty go through fitness testing June 10 at the NHL Scouting Combine. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
NASHVILLE – The last time Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams saw NHL Draft prospect Gavin McCarthy, he ran into him, of all places, on the bike path behind his house in Clarence.
Adams, having run the Jr. Sabres and Academy of Hockey at LECOM Harborcenter before being named GM, knows a lot of high-end local prospects like McCarthy and Hamburg native Quentin Musty, who could be a first-round pick Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena.
His ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin (left) and Owen Power are two of Buffalo’s cornerstones. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Following the season, some of the Sabres’ decision makers sat down with defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power and told them how much they believe in them and what they mean to the franchise.
“There was an excitement from both of them and a clear message to me that they both want to be here long-term,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said Wednesday during a news conference in KeyBank Center to discuss the ... Read the full article
Kevin Adams has been deliberate in constructing the Sabres. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – This offseason, general manager Kevyn Adams is having different conversations with his counterparts as he works to improve the Sabres.
Having watched his team record 91 points and fall two points short of a playoff spot in 2022-23, he said he’s examining “every possible scenario.”
That wasn’t the case as the Sabres went through a two-year rebuild. But after enjoying their best season in 12 years, they’re a different mode this summer.
Zemgus Girgensons is Buffalo’s longest-tenured player. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
Forward Zemgus Girgensons, the Buffalo Sabres’ longest-tenured player, will be returning for an 11th season.
The Sabres on Tuesday signed Girgensons to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. He could’ve become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
Girgensons, 29, is the last remaining player from the Sabres’ “tank” teams of 2013-14 and 2014-15.
The Latvian has endured some rough seasons in Buffalo. The Sabres have finished dead last four times during his tenure and never ... Read the full article
