Ruotsalainen - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Prospect Arttu Ruotsalainen leaves Sabres to play in Switzerland

When prospect Arttu Ruotsalainen examined the Sabres’ depth chart, he apparently saw limited opportunities in Buffalo.

Wingers JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn are expected to graduate to Buffalo this season, meaning there’s likely no room for the Finn in the forward corps.

So on Friday, Ruotsalainen, 24, signed a contract to play the upcoming season for EHC Kloten in the Swiss National League.

The Sabres retained Ruotsalainen’s rights last week by tendering him a qualifying ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Brett Murray to one-year contract

The Buffalo Sabres on Monday re-signed winger Brett Murray, who played 19 NHL games last season, to a one-year, two-way contract.

The deal is worth $750,000 in the NHL and $225,000 in the AHL, according to capfriendly.com.

The Sabres now have two unsigned restricted free agents: goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and forward Arttu Ruotsalainen.

Murray, 23, compiled two goals and six points during his recalls to Buffalo last season. He made his first two NHL ... Read the full article

Sabres agree to terms with Victor Olofsson on two-year contract

BUFFALO – The Sabres today locked up their most significant restricted free agent, agreeing to terms with winger Victor Olofsson on a two-year, $9.5 million contract.

Olofsson, who turns 27 next Monday, finished last season on a tear, compiling 15 goals and 28 points over his final 34 games. He also enjoyed a hot start, scoring five goals and nine points in the first seven games.

If Olofsson hadn’t suffered a wrist injury in early ... Read the full article

Sabres’ development camp roster loaded with top prospects

Eight first-round picks, including all three the Buffalo Sabres selected last week – centers Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich – are on the 43-man development camp roster the team released Monday.

The most anticipated camp in a long time – the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Sabres to cancel it the last two years – begins Wednesday at LECOM Harborcenter.

The roster is loaded with top prospects. Forwards Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn, Isak Rosen ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Jacob Bryson to two-year contract

The Buffalo Sabres on Sunday locked up their second restricted free agent this summer, re-signing defenseman Jacob Bryson to a two-year, $3.7 million contract.

Bryson, 24, earned regular duty last season, compiling one goal and 10 points in 73 games. The 18 minutes, 10 seconds of ice time he averaged each outing ranked seventh on the Sabres.

The Providence College product, a left-handed shot, also established himself as a versatile presence, often playing on ... Read the full article

Reports: Sabres pursued trade for Senators goalie Matt Murray

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

Sabres discussing new Victor Olofsson contract, to talk to Ryan Johnson’s representatives

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

Top Sabres prospects, AHL role players contributing to Amerks’ playoff success

The Rochester Americans just won their second Calder Cup Playoff series, and winger Jack Quinn, the AHL’s top rookie, hasn’t scored a goal.

Injuries have sidelined goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, two of the Buffalo Sabres’ other top prospects, the entire postseason.

On Thursday, the Amerks, who eked into the playoffs, defeated the top-seeded Utica Comets 4-2 and clinched the North Division semifinal without their injured captain, Michael Mersch, a 26-goal ... Read the full article

Amerks rally to beat Comets, advance to next round of Calder Cup Playoffs

For the first time since 2004, the Rochester Americans have won two series in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Forwards Arttu Ruotsalainen, Sean Malone and Mark Jankowski scored third-period goals Thursday as the Amerks rallied to defeat the top-seeded Utica Comets 4-2 and win the best-of-five AHL North Division semifinal 3-2.

After Ruotsalainen’s power-play goal tied it at the 3:21 mark, Malone put the Amerks up at 6:45, beating Utica goalie Nico Daws from above the ... Read the full article

Utica’s Nolan Foote scores a first-period goal on Rochester goalie Aaron Dell on Tuesday.

Amerks fall to Comets, can’t close out series: ‘Wanted to finish it off now’

ROCHESTER – In opening up a series lead and putting the Utica Comets on the brink of elimination from the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Americans hadn’t seen the best out of the AHL powerhouse.

The top-seeded Comets only showcased flashes of their slick regular-season form throughout the first three games of best-of-five AHL North Division semifinal. In a do-or-die scenario Tuesday, you figured they would come out roaring.

Well, in Game 4, the Comets gave ... Read the full article