Dahlin - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Ex-Sabres Jason Pominville, Ryan Miller know Lindy Ruff can succeed in Buffalo

BUFFALO – Before the Sabres re-hired Lindy Ruff, one of the coach’s prominent former players, Jason Pominville, said he texted some friends and told them, “It has to be him. They have to bring him back.”

“Like, this is the time to bring him back,” Pominville wrote to them.

He had no inside information during the Sabres’ search for Don Granato’s replacement. The former winger simply knew Ruff could help a young, talented ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Victor Olofsson to play for Team Sweden at World Championship

Buffalo Sabres winger Victor Olofsson, who scored a career-low eight goals this season, will represent Team Sweden at the upcoming World Hockey Championship.

The Sabres are expected to let Olofsson, 28, leave as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Players who have expiring contracts often don’t want to risk injury and turn down invitations to the tournament. Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, both of whom can become restricted free agents, said ... Read the full article

Sabres want more accountability from new coach: ‘A little too comfortable’

BUFFALO – Well, now we know. As expected, Sabres players praised Don Granato, their former coach, crediting him for boosting their careers and acknowledging they could’ve done more to help him.

Still, they clearly wanted a different type of leader.

In discussing Granato’s dismissal, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said his players “are craving accountability, structure,” a sentiment they echoed Wednesday as they held exit meetings in KeyBank Center following a disappointing 84-point finish.

While ... Read the full article

Sabres assign prospect Noah Ostlund to Rochester Amerks

BUFFALO – The Sabres on Wednesday assigned forward prospect Noah Ostlund, the 16th overall pick in 2022, to the Rochester Americans.

Ostlund, 20, recently completed his first season in the Swedish Hockey League, scoring 12 goals and 23 points in 38 games for Vaxjo HC.

The 5-foot-11, 163-pound Ostlund joined the Amerks last season during the Calder Cup Playoffs but did not play.

The Amerks have two games left before the postseason.

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Sabres ... Read the full article

After firing coach Don Granato, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams begins search for experienced replacement

BUFFALO – In firing coach Don Granato following a disappointing season in which the Sabres missed the playoffs for an NHL-record 13th consecutive year, general manager Kevyn Adams has shifted the onus to himself.

Adams has always accepted blame for the Sabres’ troubles, and in discussing Tuesday’s dismissal of Granato and the state of his team for 45 minutes in KeyBank Center, he again shouldered his share of the responsibility for an 84-point campaign.

But ... Read the full article

Sabres fire coach Don Granato after disappointing season

The Buffalo Sabres this morning fired coach Don Granato, less than a day after they completed a disappointing 84-point season in which they missed the playoffs for an NHL-record 13th consecutive year.

No replacement was named.

The Sabres also let go of assistant coach Jason Christie and video coordinator Matt Smith.

General manager Kevyn Adams will address the media at 3 p.m. in KeyBank Center. The Sabres are looking for their seventh coach since 2013-14, ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Zach Benson scores 10th goal at end of surprising rookie season

BUFFALO – Seven months ago, rookie Zach Benson arrived here having just scored a hat trick for the Wenatchee Wild, the junior team seemingly everyone, including the Sabres, expected he would be returned to following training camp.

Benson’s preseason exploits in Washington illustrated that at just 18, he had possibly outgrown the Western Hockey League. But the diminutive winger’s limited options – as a teenager, he can only play in junior or the NHL – ... 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’ Rasmus Dahlin scores critical goal, joins elite company

BUFFALO – Following a night in which he logged more than 23 minutes of ice time and scored the go-ahead goal after briefly leaving the game, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin earned a well-deserved breather.

Coach Don Granato said Dahlin, 23, sat out Saturday’s practice in LECOM Harborcenter to rest and recharge. He expects the Swede will play in this afternoon’s critical road game against the Detroit Red Wings.

As Dahlin illustrated in Friday’s 4-2 win ... Read the full article

UPL, Jack Quinn and rare timeout help Sabres beat Flyers, stay in playoff chase

BUFFALO – Three goals on the first 10 shots, a robust shooting percentage of 30, will cover up some problems. So will terrific goaltending.

The Sabres illustrated that Friday in defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2, a critical win that moved them to within four points of the second wild card spot.

While the Flyers opened up a huge shot advantage early, the Sabres made their limited chances count on goalie Ivan Fedotov, who made his ... Read the full article