Botterill - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Jack Eichel wants to stay with Sabres, willing to play out contract

BUFFALO – If the Sabres and Jack Eichel can’t reach an extension, the center said he has “no problem” playing out the final season of his entry-level contract.

“If that happens, that happens,” Eichel said this afternoon following a late-summer skate. “I’m pretty adamant on staying a Sabre and staying in Buffalo. It’s not something I can really control here. I can just control my play.... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Robin Lehner not out to prove himself

BUFFALO – Robin Lehner’s agents kept telling him to take a one-year contract. After all, the Sabres goalie could parlay another strong season into a lucrative long-term deal.

But fresh off a campaign in which Lehner established himself as the Sabres’ starter and posted the NHL’s 10th-highest save percentage, he wanted a long contract right away.... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Victor Antipin excited to showcase skills in NHL

BUFFALO – Among the pro hockey players enjoying a late-summer skate Thursday inside HarborCenter, an unfamiliar face stood out, a goateed youngster in Sabres apparel sporting No. 93.

Who was it? Russian defenseman Victor Antipin, perhaps the Sabres’ most intriguing offseason addition.... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Nathan Beaulieu to two-year contract

BUFFALO – The Sabres have re-signed defenseman Nathan Beaulieu to a two-year, $4.8 million contract, the team announced today.

Beaulieu, a restricted free agent, had an arbitration hearing scheduled for Friday.

With Beaulieu’s deal done, the Sabres only have one unsigned RFA, forward Zemgus Girgensons.

The Sabres acquired Beaulieu, 24, from the Montreal Canadiens on June 17 for a 2017 third-round pick.

Beaulieu has played 225 NHL games over four seasons, compiling seven goals, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Kyle Okposo returns to ice

Buffalo Sabres winger Kyle Okposo, who was reportedly hospitalized late last season in the neuro surgical intensive care unit at Buffalo General Hospital, played in an informal summer league game Wednesday in Minnesota, his first notable action in months.

Okposo, 29, missed the final six games of 2016-17, his first season with the Sabres after signing a seven-year, $42 million contract. He paid immediate dividends, compiling 19 goals and 45 points in 65 appearances.... Read the full article

Brian Gionta likely won’t return to Sabres

BUFFALO – The chances of veteran winger Brian Gionta returning to the Sabres for his 16th NHL season “are pretty remote,” his agent said today.

“While we haven’t slammed the door – and I don’t think they have, either – I think they’ve also been pretty honest that it’s probably going to be a fairly unlikely scenario,” Steve Bartlett told the Times Herald. “So I’ve been focusing on trying to look at other opportunities for ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Marcus Davidsson wishes he attended NHL Draft

BUFFALO – If Marcus Davidsson had known he would be selected so early – the Sabres grabbed the center in the second round, 37th overall – then he would’ve attended the NHL Draft last month in Chicago.

Instead, Davidsson, 18, followed the draft at home in Sweden with his family and friends.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Phil Housley likes defense, plans to lean on Marco Scandella

BUFFALO – In a two-week span last month, general manager Jason Botterill addressed the Sabres’ most glaring weakness by acquiring defensemen Nathan Beaulieu and Marco Scandella.

Is either player elite? Hardly. Still, as puck-moving defenders, Beaulieu and Scandella offer talents the Sabres sorely lacked last season and add some much-needed depth.... Read the full article

Sabres GM Jason Botterill optimistic about Jack Eichel’s contract extension

BUFFALO – Sabres general manager Jason Botterill spoke optimistically this morning about young star Jack Eichel signing a contract extension in the near future.

“Our conversations with Jack and the group have gone extremely well,” Botterill said inside HarborCenter following the close of development camp. “We’ll continue those throughout the summer here and stuff to see if we can find a common ground. From our standpoint, we certainly want to get something done, and from ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Sean Malone healthy, ready for pro hockey

BUFFALO – Before Sabres prospect Sean Malone knew it, his short taste of the NHL, the finishing touch on his whirlwind season, was over.

On April 6, the West Seneca native played his 115th and final game with Harvard, a 2-1 loss to Minnesota Duluth in the semifinal of the NCAA Tournament. Two days later, Malone debuted with the Sabres, skating 12 minutes, 12 seconds in their 3-0 road loss to the Florida Panthers.... Read the full article