Asplund | Buffalo Hockey Beat

Prospect Jack Quinn still with Sabres, will be assigned to taxi squad

BUFFALO – On Wednesday morning, rookie Jack Quinn wasn’t among the five players the Sabres assigned to their new taxi squad.

But instead of practicing with the team’s main group at KeyBank Center, Quinn joined the taxi-squad players across the street inside LECOM Harborcenter.

Meanwhile, taxi-squad forward Rasmus Asplund skated with the Sabres’ main group.

Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said last week the practice groups would be adjusted every morning, so expect regular movement ... Read the full article

Casey Mittelstadt among five players assigned to Sabres’ taxi squad

BUFFALO – Forward Casey Mittelstadt was among five players the Sabres assigned to their taxi squad this morning.

The Sabres also assigned center Rasmus Asplund, goalie Jonas Johansson and defensemen Will Borgen and Brandon Davidson to the taxi squad, which the NHL implemented this season because of the COVID-19.

Mittelstadt, the eighth overall pick in 2017, has played 114 NHL games. He ended last season with the Rochester Americans.... Read the full article

Sabres switch up lines, move Tage Thompson up, Jeff Skinner down

After a 10-month layoff, the Buffalo Sabres play 10 games in an 18-day stretch, starting with Thursday’s season opener against the Washington Capitals.

That includes three back-to-back sets. The early stretch will be rigorous and likely test the Sabres’ depth. They’re going to have to roll four lines.

“Right now, we need to be a good four-line team early in the season,” Krueger said on a Zoom call Friday.

So Krueger, who pretty much kept ... Read the full article

Sabres release training camp roster, schedule; 37 players to participate

On Friday, the Buffalo Sabres will touch the KeyBank Center ice for the first time in 296 days and begin preparing for the most unusual of seasons.

The NHL will be attempting to play during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will likely experience problems – positive tests, postponements or even cancellations – as the schedule unfolds.

But those potential roadblocks can be examined another day. The Sabres’ 10-month break is nearly over. Training camp officially ... Read the full article

Sabres loan goalie Jonas Johansson to German team

The Buffalo Sabres have loaned goalie prospect Jonas Johansson to the Krefeld Penguins, a team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, Germany’s top pro circuit.

Johansson, 25, played his first six NHL games last season, compiling a 1-3-1 record with a 2.94 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage.

The Swede enjoyed a terrific 2019-20 campaign with the Rochester Americans, posting a 14-4-3 mark with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. He was ... Read the full article

Report: Sabres loan Rasmus Asplund to Swedish team

The Buffalo Sabres have loaned center prospect Rasmus Asplund to Västerås IK, a second-tier team in his native Sweden, according to HockeyNews.se.

The move gives Asplund, 22, an opportunity to play while he waits for the 2020-21 North American season to begin. He can return to the Sabres whenever training camp opens.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the NHL and AHL to target early December as a possible start date instead of October.... Read the full article

Sabres fired Amerks coach Chris Taylor with no explanation

The call lasted less than a minute. Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams simply informed Chris Taylor he was being fired as Rochester Americans coach, offering no details into the sudden dismissal.

Taylor was stunned. Following a successful three-year run in which the Amerks reestablished themselves as an AHL heavyweight, the Sabres let him go Tuesday with no explanation.

“It was very short, fast, why they felt that they wanted a clean slate,” Taylor told ... Read the full article

Sabres assign Rasmus Asplund, Lawrence Pilut to Amerks

BUFFALO – The Sabres assigned forward Rasmus Asplund and defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the Rochester Americans this morning.

Both players were scratched for Friday’s 3-2 road win against the New York Rangers.

The Amerks play a road contest this afternoon against the Toronto Marlies.

Asplund, 22, has scored one goal and two points in 29 games with the Sabres this season. Meanwhile, Pilut, 24, has compiled zero points in 10 NHL outings.... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Jonas Johansson looks solid in first NHL start

BUFFALO – In the midst of an awful stretch during another lost season, goalie Jonas Johansson’s first NHL start Thursday should’ve given the Sabres a spark.

Johansson’s arrival has created some excitement and intrigue. The Swede, 24, has enjoyed a terrific season with the Rochester Americans, winning 13 of his 20 appearances and receiving AHL All-Star honors.

While Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been tabbed the Sabres’ goalie of the future, Johansson, a third-round pick in ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Brandon Montour gaining trust, earning big minutes

BUFFALO – Having piled up points throughout his career, Sabres defenseman Brandon Montour understands he has earned a reputation.

“People that see me as a player, I think, over the years, they think it was just offense,” Montour said prior to Tuesday’s 6-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche inside KeyBank Center.

Montour, 25, has averaged nine goals and 34 points in his two full NHL seasons. He put up 12 goals and 57 points in ... Read the full article