WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
September Edition
Rasmus Dahlin scored 15 goals last season. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said contract talks for defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power have become “more intense, more frequent” over the last week.
“I was on the phone with both of their agents for a long time late last night,” Adams said this morning in KeyBank Center, where training camp opens today. “… No update on where we’re at. I don’t think it’s necessarily healthy to get into details, especially when ... Read the full article
Nikita Novikov signed his entry-level contract in May. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – The Sabres’ leading scorer in the Prospects Challenge wasn’t Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen, Matt Savoie or another talented young forward.
No, try defenseman Nikita Novikov, who registered five assists, including three in Friday’s 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens in LECOM Harborcenter.
The Russian, 20, compiled three assists and five points in 62 games with the Kontinental Hockey League’s Moscow Dynamo all of last season.
The 6-foot-4, ... Read the full article
Erik Johnson (left) and Connor Clifford joined Buffalo on Saturday. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – If Sabres coach Don Granato puts Erik Johnson on the top defense pairing, he believes the veteran can help Rasmus Dahlin reset from the mental pressure he often puts on himself.
Granato said Johnson, having been a first overall pick like Dahlin, has “walked that walk.”
Of course, Granato thinks Johnson, 35, would have a similar effect on Owen Power, the No. 1 selection in 2021. And if Johnson skates with Mattias ... Read the full article
Erik Johnson sees similarities between Colorado, his old team, and Buffalo ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After defenseman Erik Johnson learned the Colorado Avalanche wouldn’t be re-signing him, he said five or six teams emerged as suitors in free agency.
The Sabres, a team he said reminds him of the Avalanche not long ago, quickly moved to the top of his list.
Johnson, 35, called some old teammates and bounced the interested clubs off them.
“All of them really said Buffalo’s a team on the rise,” said Johnson, who ... Read the full article
Not a lot of early picks change hands on the draft floor. ©2023
NASHVILLE – For first time since 2012, the Buffalo Sabres did not have a top-10 pick at the NHL Draft, meaning general manager Kevyn Adams likely had fewer teams trying to pry away his first selection.
Given the amount of high-end talent available early, teams are usually reluctant to part with one of the first 10 choices. This year, no trades were made in the entire first round.
“That’s shocking,” said Adams, who tried to ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin (left) and Owen Power are two of Buffalo’s cornerstones. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Following the season, some of the Sabres’ decision makers sat down with defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power and told them how much they believe in them and what they mean to the franchise.
“There was an excitement from both of them and a clear message to me that they both want to be here long-term,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said Wednesday during a news conference in KeyBank Center to discuss the ... Read the full article
Owen Power led all rookies in ice time. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power on Wednesday was named one of three finalists for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s rookie of the year.
Power, 20, enjoyed a dynamic season, stepping into the lineup and providing an immediate impact. He led all rookies in ice time per game (23:48) and total ice minutes (1,880:20), the fifth- and seventh-highest figures, respectively, since the league began tracking the stat 25 years ago.
The 6-foot-6, 218-pound Power ... Read the full article
Zemgus Girgensons can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – General manager Kevyn Adams wants to give captain Kyle Okposo and alternate captain Zemgus Girgensons, the Sabres’ longest-tenured player, time to decompress following a long season.
When the time is right, Adams plans to talk to the veterans, both of whom can become unrestricted free agents this summer, about returning to the Sabres.
“I want them back,” he said during Wednesday’s end-of-season news conference in KeyBank Center.
Okposo, 35, and Girgensons, 29, helped ... Read the full article
Alex Tuch scored a career-high 36 goals this season. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres winger Alex Tuch is almost six years older than his brother, Luke, so they’ve never had an opportunity to play together on the same hockey team.
That, however, is about to change.
Tuch, 26, said Saturday that he and his brother will be representing Team USA at the World Championship in Latvia. The tournament opens May 12 in Finland and Latvia.
Rasmus Dahlin had one goal and three points Saturday afternoon. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Go ahead, try to pick Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin’s most impactful play in Saturday afternoon’s thrilling 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Was it his game-tying power-play score in the second period, his first goal in nearly 11 weeks? His dazzling backhand pass that created center Casey’s Mittelstadt’s tying goal later in the period? Before he dished the puck, he generated highlight footage by zooming down the slot and slickly undressing two ... Read the full article
