Biro - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres goalie Devon Levi looks sharp in preseason debut

BUFFALO – While the Sabres have three goalies battling for two spots, Devon Levi, having started seven critical late-season games last year, likely secured his place and the No. 1 job months ago.

In his first preseason start Tuesday, Levi, 21, only strengthened the belief he will be the opening night starter, stopping all 19 shots he faced in 40 minutes of action.

Goalie Devin Cooley, a free agent ticketed for the AHL, relieved Levi ... Read the full article

Sabres to give prospect Zach Benson look on top line

BUFFALO – Placing rookie Zach Benson on the top line with center Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner for tonight’s preseason game isn’t a reward, coach Don Granato said.

“He’s a good hockey player,” Granato said after the Sabres prepared for the Boston Bruins in KeyBank Center. “He’s earned it in the sense that he might only be 18 years old, but he’s developed himself enough to be able to keep up with those two in ... Read the full article

Amerks’ Brett Murray hopes career year can create more chances with Sabres

ROCHESTER – A season after spending nearly two months in Buffalo and playing 19 NHL games, Sabres prospect Brett Murray stayed put in the AHL nearly all year.

Murray, 24, joined the Sabres just once, skating in the pregame warm-up Dec. 10 before getting scratched. They returned him to the Americans following the game.

The Sabres, of course, have beefed up their forward depth and prospect pool over the last year. They also remained remarkably ... Read the full article

Rochester’s Mason Jobst emerges as player critical to Amerks’ success

ROCHESTER – Americans center Mason Jobst waited four seasons for an opportunity like this to materialize.

He bounced around the AHL, often skating short minutes in a bottom-six role without any special-teams action. Instead of playing center, his natural position, teams utilized him as a winger. He struggled to stay in the lineup, never playing more than about a month straight.

Then last season, as he began producing for the Amerks, Jobst suffered a concussion ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Brandon Biro out for season; Jiri Kulich probable for Amerks

Buffalo Sabres center prospect Brandon Biro underwent season-ending surgery over the weekend to repair a lower-body injury, Americans coach Seth Appert said.

“That’s unfortunate, because what a great season he had,” he told reporters Tuesday in Rochester.

Despite playing just 49 games this season, Biro’s 16 goals ranked fourth on the Amerks and his 51 points trailed only Lukas Rousek’s 56 points.

... Read the full article

After slow start, Sabres prospect Filip Cederqvist scoring goals for Amerks; Jiri Kulich close to returning from injury

ROCHESTER – Earlier in his career, Buffalo Sabres prospect Filip Cederqvist never paid much of a price if he skated to the net.

In his native Sweden, Cederqvist said, you’re not allowed to box out.

“You can just almost stand in front of the net and nothing’s going to happen,” he told the Times Herald on Tuesday following the Americans’ off-ice workout in Blue Cross Arena.

Cederqvist has learned when he tries to park his ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Isak Rosen developing fast, already one of Amerks’ ‘drivers’

ROCHESTER – Buffalo Sabres prospect Isak Rosen has never experienced a season as long and demanding as this one, his first in North America.

Counting seven appearances at the World Junior Championship, Rosen, a winger with the Americans, has already hit the 70-game mark. A year ago in his native Sweden, he played 31 pro games, often skating short minutes.

In Rochester, Rosen, 20, has developed into what coach Seth Appert called one of the ... Read the full article

Extra forwards, not performance, led to Sabres’ Tyson Jost getting scratched

BUFFALO – When coach Don Granato scratched Tyson Jost last week, he said he told the center the Sabres hadn’t lost their belief in him.

Of course, it would be understandable if Jost, a waiver claim in November, thought the worst. The Sabres are his third team since late last season. He knows what it’s like to lose a coach’s trust.

But Granato said he wanted “to reassure him that this decision is not rooted ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Brandon Biro quietly becoming elite AHL talent with Amerks

ROCHESTER – Last month, Buffalo Sabres prospect Brandon Biro approached Americans coach Seth Appert with a simple question: am I still playing well?

Biro, 25, had been on a tear nearly all season, scoring at more than a point per game clip. In December, he had six consecutive two-point outings and 16 points in 10 contests.

Then, suddenly, the center hit an offensive rut when the calendar turned to 2023. He endured a seven-game point ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Lukas Rousek earns spot in AHL All-Star Classic

ROCHESTER – Buffalo Sabres prospect Lukas Rousek has been named as a replacement for injured teammate Brandon Biro on the North Division team for the upcoming AHL All-Star Classic.

Biro, a center who has a team-high 29 points, is week to week after suffering an upper-body injury, Amerks coach Seth Appert said.... Read the full article