WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Free Agency Edition
Bowen Byram wanted a fresh opportunity. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
ORCHARD PARK – The Sabres tried to convince Bowen Byram to stay in Buffalo. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said he spent all season working on a new contract, calling it his “first priority.”
But Byram, 25, wanted to become a No. 1 defenseman, an opportunity he would likely never have in Buffalo with captain Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson around. So, according to Kekalainen, Byram “didn’t want to negotiate.”
“He wasn’t gonna sign ... Read the full article
Bowen Byram has one year left on his contract. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres completed a blockbuster trade with the Blackhawks tonight, sending defenseman Bowen Byram and winger Jordan Greenway to Chicago in exchange for the fourth overall pick in Friday’s NHL Draft, the 45th selection and defenseman Louis Crevier.
Now, does general manager Jarmo Kekalainen have another move up his sleeve? Will the Sabres, who host the draft Friday and Saturday at KeyBank Center, make their early pick? Or could they package it with, say, ... Read the full article
Logan Stanley joined Buffalo last month. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley knows it sounds a bit odd. After all, he fell out of the lineup after playing 14 straight games following his arrival from the Winnipeg Jets before the trade deadline.
But sitting out Wednesday’s 5-3 road win over the New York Rangers as a healthy scratch infused him with some much-needed confidence.
After being given a chance to reset, Stanley responded by enjoying his best outing with the Sabres ... Read the full article
Josh Doan scored two goals in Friday’s win. ©2025, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After a loss so ugly it felt like it could kill any recent momentum they had generated, you wondered how the Sabres would respond against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Was it simply a one-off or the perhaps the start of a trend? Well, right now, after demolishing the Blackhawks 9-3 on Friday, Wednesday’s embarrassing 6-2 loss to the lowly Calgary Flames feels like a distant memory.
The Sabres, whose penchant for slow starts has ... Read the full article
Jack Quinn scored his last goal one month ago. ©2025, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Over the past month, Sabres winger Jack Quinn has often fought what he called “a battle I kind of have within myself.”
Quinn, 24, carried a 13-game goal drought into Friday’s contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored his last goal Oct. 22, his third in the first seven games.
“I’m very frustrated I haven’t scored,” Quinn said Friday morning in KeyBank Center. “But there’s also some positives I am creating.”
Actually, Quinn ... Read the full article
Mason Geertsen often sat out as a healthy scratch. ©2025, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – When the Sabres waived Mason Geertsen, coach Lindy Ruff, who helped bring the tough guy back to the NHL following a four-year absence, told him he’s still a part of the team.
It’s just that right now, carrying an enforcer is a luxury the Sabres, who must activate winger Jason Zucker from injured reserve before tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, can no longer afford.
“We’ve got a long list of players that ... Read the full article
Jason Zucker has missed the last eight games. ©2025, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Waiving tough guy Mason Geertsen was the easy one. Difficult roster decisions loom for the Sabres as sick and injured players begin to return to the lineup.
By taking Geertsen, a healthy scratch 15 times this season, off the roster, they can activate winger Jason Zucker, 33, off injured reserve.
The Sabres, who host the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at KeyBank Center, sorely need Zucker. Their oldest and most experienced player has missed the ... Read the full article
Alex Lyon spent the last two seasons in Detroit. ©2025, Micheline Veluvolu
What exactly will goalie Alex Lyon’s role be with the Buffalo Sabres?
Right now, Lyon, their most significant signing on Tuesday, the first day of free agency, is likely penciled in as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s backup.
But what if Luukkonen, 26, struggles like he did last season? Late in the year, veteran James Reimer took over, keeping the Finn on the bench as he enjoyed a career-best stretch.
The Sabres are under enormous pressure to win ... Read the full article
Sam Lafferty played 60 games for Buffalo. ©2025, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres today traded forward Sam Lafferty to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2026.
Lafferty, 30, struggled last season after signing a two-year, $4 million contract as a free agent, registering four goals, seven points and a minus-15 rating in 60 games.
The Sabres inked the speedy Lafferty, who had just enjoyed a career year with the Vancouver Canucks, when they overhauled their fourth line.... Read the full article
Alex Tuch busted out of a slump Friday. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Alex Tuch’s estimate was just a bit off. Following his slick three-goal performance in Friday’s 6-2 annihilation of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Sabres winger said scoring his first goal at home in “several months” took a monkey off his back.
In reality, Tuch had last scored Nov. 29 in KeyBank Center. Given the Sabres’ recent 13-game winless skid and his own struggles, that probably feels like months ago.
“Doing it in front of ... Read the full article