Byram - Buffalo Hockey Beat

After battling injuries, Sabres’ Mattias Samuelsson mentally stronger

BUFFALO – The days and weeks after Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson underwent season-ending right shoulder surgery took a mental toll on him.

He wore a sling for six weeks, forcing him to use just his left arm. When the team traveled for road games, he stayed in Buffalo.

It made for a frustrating and lonely time.

“It was some hard days there, for sure,” Samuelsson said Thursday as the Sabres held end-of-season meetings in KeyBank ... Read the full article

Missing playoffs hasn’t shaken Rasmus Dahlin’s belief in Sabres: ‘We’re close’

BUFFALO – While the cold reality of missing the playoffs again has smacked the Sabres – “It sucks, honestly,” defenseman Rasmus Dahlin said – they haven’t lost belief they can end an NHL-record 13-year drought.

“I want the Buffalo Sabres in the playoffs, and I’m never going to give up, and I think we’re close,” Dahlin said prior to Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals in the home finale at KeyBank Center. “I think ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Bowen Byram adjusting to Buffalo following trade

BUFFALO – Following a torrid start – three goals and four points in his first three games – Sabres newcomer Bowen Byram has understandably cooled off.

Byram, 22, joined the Sabres in a significant trade March 6 that sent center Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche. While he has certainly showcased some of his talent here, the defenseman must acclimate to a new organization, teammates, expectations, surroundings and more.

“Lots of challenges, lots of getting ... Read the full article

How Sabres’ Devon Levi seized chance in Rochester, became better goalie

BUFFALO – Instead of chasing the highest levels growing up, Sabres goalie Devon Levi chose to play where he would enjoy the best opportunity to develop his craft.

For example: in 2019-20, his draft season, he tended goal in the Central Canada Hockey League, a circuit that produces some NHL talent but is overshadowed by the major junior Canadian Hockey League.

“It’s a good league, but it wasn’t up there on the radar,” Levi said ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Ryan Johnson earning big minutes with Rochester Amerks

BUFFALO – A confident Ryan Johnson recently returned to the Rochester Americans following an unexpected 41-game stay with the Sabres.

As a first-round pick who played four seasons of college hockey at Minnesota, it’s hardly surprising that Johnson, 22, cracked the NHL as a rookie.

But after earning his first recall Nov. 4, the defenseman showcased poise that belied his limited experience, forcing the Sabres to keep him for more than four months.... Read the full article

Bowen Byram, surging Sabres destroy Red Wings, move closer to playoff spot

BUFFALO – Imagine, if you will, a Sabres team capable of locking down defensively like it has over the past 10 weeks and possessing the offensive firepower of last season.

Since Jan. 1, thanks largely to the emergence of goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the Sabres have boasted the NHL’s third-stingiest defense.

Still, as they’ve focused on different areas of their game and matured this season, their offense has suffered. The fast pace they displayed a year ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin sad to see Casey Mittelstadt leave in trade, excited by Bowen Byram’s arrival

BUFFALO – It stinks, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin said, using a stronger word to describe his feelings. His close friend, center Casey Mittelstadt, is gone, having been traded to the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

Make no mistake, Dahlin likes the addition of Bowen Byram, his new defense partner, and is happy for Mittelstadt, who joined a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Still, it hasn’t been easy. On Monday, following the Sabres’ first practice without Mittelstadt, a ... Read the full article

Sabres respond after trades, beat Oilers in overtime and shootout

BUFFALO – The game ended dramatically, with Sabres defenseman Owen Power scoring with 2.0 seconds left in overtime as the capacity crowd implored him to shoot.

The giddy Sabres jumped over the boards to celebrate Saturday afternoon’s much-needed 3-2 triumph over the heavyweight Edmonton Oilers, saluted the fans in KeyBank Center and left the ice.

In the dressing room, players began taking off their equipment. Oilers general manager Ken Holland and some Sabres coaches left ... Read the full article

Casey Mittelstadt’s status made trading for coveted Bowen Byram possible

BUFFALO – Kevyn Adams said he never shopped Casey Mittelstadt around the NHL. No, the Sabres general manager said, the center’s emergence made him a sought-after asset.

When other GMs called him to ask about Mittelstadt, his leading scorer, he made it clear he was willing to listen and think about possible scenarios.

Adams said he had been working for a couple of years to find a young, top-pair defenseman. Those type of defenders, of ... Read the full article

Sabres believe trade gives them special person, player in Bowen Byram

TORONTO – Over the years, Sabres center Dylan Cozens said he and his close friend, defenseman Bowen Byram, had talked about someday playing on the same team again.

Cozens, 23, and Byram, 22, go way back, having played Midget hockey together and represented Team Canada in four tournaments as teenagers.

During the recent NHL All-Star break, they vacationed in Cancun, and Cozens said Byram, who won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, ... Read the full article