Cooley - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres notes: JJ Peterka earning keep on top line; Michael Houser injured with Rochester

BUFFALO – Before JJ Peterka moved up last week, the left wing spot on the Sabres’ top line alongside center Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch had been a revolving door.

Jeff Skinner, who usually occupies that spot, has struggled and moved around the lineup. So coach Don Granato has utilized Jordan Greenway, Zemgus Girgensons and even Eric Robinson there this month.

Peterka, who scored an empty-net goal in Friday’s 5-2 win over the New Jersey ... 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 trade Erik Johnson to Flyers; Buffalo makes final deal

BUFFALO – The Sabres this afternoon traded veteran defenseman Erik Johnson to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2024.

The Sabres scratched Johnson, 35, the last five games to protect their asset before this afternoon’s deadline.

After signing a one-year, $3.25 million contract as a free agent, Johnson, who won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, compiled three goals and three points in 50 games with the Sabres.... Read the full article

Sabres recall goalie from Rochester

The Buffalo Sabres this morning recalled veteran goalie Dustin Tokarski from the Rochester Americans to give them some insurance in net.

Granato said the Sabres have been dealing with illness. They did not practice Wednesday as a precaution.

“With how certain guys felt, we needed to make sure we were covered for this morning in the event more flared up,” Granato told reporters in St. Petersburg.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to start tonight’s road game ... Read the full article

After roster move by Sabres, goalie Eric Comrie seizing chance in Rochester

ROCHESTER – For almost a year, Eric Comrie never felt comfortable in net. Every game, the goalie said, felt like a tryout for the Buffalo Sabres. He wondered if a bad goal allowed would cost him playing time or lead to a demotion.

“I always felt like I was the odd man out in that (three-goalie) situation, where if I had the bad game, it was like, ‘Well, you’re not going to see it for ... Read the full article

Goalie Eric Comrie clears waivers, sent to Amerks by Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres on Monday assigned goalie Eric Comrie to the Rochester Americans after he cleared waivers.

Comrie, 28, last played in the AHL one year ago, when he started three games for the Amerks during a conditioning assignment.

His arrival creates a logjam in Rochester’s net. The Amerks have two established AHL: goalies: Dustin Tokarski and Devin Cooley.... Read the full article

After stint with Sabres, goalie Dustin Tokarski happy back with Amerks

ROCHESTER – Their first stint together lasted maybe six weeks. Dustin Tokarski participated in Seth Appert’s first training camp as an AHL coach and started two early-season games for the Americans. That’s it.

By late February in 2021, the veteran goalie was in Buffalo, where he would play 42 contests for the Sabres over the next season and a half.

Despite their limited time together, Appert and Tokarski, one of the most decorated goalies in ... Read the full article

Sabres send rookie goalie Devon Levi to Rochester Amerks

As Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen recently emerged as the Buffalo Sabres’ top option in net, the end of their three-goalie rotation seemed imminent.

In winning three straight starts, Luukkonen has performed like the No. 1 netminder the Sabres envisioned years ago.

Something had to give and on Tuesday the Sabres sent rookie goalie Devon Levi, who started the first four games this season, to the Rochester Americans.

Going forward, Luukkonen will likely be the starter and be ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Maturity, newcomer Erik Johnson boost Buffalo’s penalty killing

BUFFALO – Through nine games, the Sabres have mostly utilized the same penalty killers as last season, with one exception. Newcomer Erik Johnson usually jumps over the boards first with defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, offering a stabilizing veteran presence.

So far, Johnson has helped, as the Sabres have killed 89.2 percent of their penalties, which ranked sixth in the NHL entering Monday’s games. Last season, they killed just 73 percent of their penalties, which ranked 28th ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stymies Avs, records first NHL shutout

BUFFALO – Fair or not, the knock on Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is his inability to make big saves at critical times.

In his 50-game career, the Finn hasn’t delivered many of those momentum-changing stops that might preserve a lead or keep a contest tied or within striking distance.

That’s why Luukkonen’s superb save on star Mikko Rantanen with the game tied at 0 early in Sunday afternoon’s 4-0 win holds so much significance.

The ... Read the full article