WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Calder Cup Playoffs Edition
JJ Peterka has registered one assist in three preseason games. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Coach Don Granato said it’s only natural that Sabres rookie JJ Peterka might be pressing as he battles to earn a roster spot out of training camp.
So far, Peterka, 20, has had an underwhelming preseason, registering just one assist in three outings.
“I would love to score a little bit more right now,” Peterka said this morning inside KeyBank Center. “But for me, it’s just trying to find my game and getting ... Read the full article
JJ Peterka could start the season in Buffalo. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After reassigning 23 players over the weekend, the Sabres nearly have their regular-season roster set.
On Monday, 28 players – 15 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goalies – practiced inside KeyBank Center. The Sabres held one session for the first time in training camp.
They must finalize their 23-man roster by 5 p.m. next Monday.
The Sabres, who have two preseason games left, starting with tonight’s home contest against the Carolina Hurricanes, have ... Read the full article
Matt Savoie also played in Sunday afternoon’s preseason opener. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Matt Savoie has integrated so quickly that coach Don Granato feels comfortable playing the rookie between veterans.
So tonight, less than a week into his first NHL training camp, Savoie, 18, will center Casey Mittelstadt and Kyle Okposo against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Savoie, the ninth overall pick this year, also played in Sunday afternoon’s preseason opener, a 4-3 overtime road win against the Washington Capitals.... Read the full article
Casey Mittelstadt played just 40 games last season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Early in his career, Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt never thought he would someday go golfing with his general manager. But there he was recently, sharing the course with Kevyn Adams.
On the final hole, Mittelstadt and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin each birdied, giving their team a victory over Adams’ trio.
Besides some healthy competition, the outing offered Adams and the players an opportunity to bond outside of the rink.
Mittelstadt, 23, enjoyed getting to ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin was an NHL All-Star last season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin can’t remember when it finally clicked for him, but at some point early last season, he stopped trying to impress others. He no longer cared what they thought about him.
Dahlin, 22, became comfortable in his own skin and quickly developed confidence. His play took off, and by February, he had earned his first spot in the NHL All-Star Game.
“I realized early last season that if I’m myself ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo might be Buffalo’s leading candidate to be named captain. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – For just the second time in their history last season, the Sabres did not name a captain.
Instead, having undertaken another rebuild, they named Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo, their two longest-tenured players, as alternates. The move worked, and the veterans helped the team establish a fresh culture after Jack Eichel was stripped of the captaincy.
This year, however, with the roster stabilized, general manager Kevyn Adams said the Sabres plan to name ... Read the full article
Jack Quinn could have a spot in Buffalo this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – What makes this training camp so unique for the Sabres, besides the fact they’re, you know, relevant again, is the lack of roster competition.
Right now, with the Sabres set to hold their first on-ice sessions today at KeyBank Center, their lineup looks set.
Sure, some guys will be moved around. There will inevitably be injuries. And they could feel compelled to keep one of their talented youngsters if he wows them.
Ilya Lyubushkin played for Arizona last season before joining Toronto. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
At 28, having played nine pro seasons, newcomer Ilya Lyubushkin is the elder statesmen of the Buffalo Sabres’ defense corps.
Buffalo’s second-oldest defenseman, Casey Fitzgerald, is just 25. The average age of the seven defenders expected to be on the opening night roster is 23.
The six defensemen the Sabres utilized down the stretch late last season – Fitzgerald, Jacob Bryson, Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson – will all be returning ... Read the full article
Shane Wright began playing in the OHL when he was just 15. ©2022, Robert John Boucher, Kingston Frontenacs
Right now, there’s no consensus first overall pick for the 2022 NHL Draft.
NHL Central Scouting recently ranked Shane Wright, a youngster so talented the Ontario Hockey League granted him exceptional status to play as a 15-year-old, No. 1 in its final evaluation of North American skaters for the draft.
Wright, a center for the Kingston Frontenacs, has thrived under intense pressure for three years, securing his place among the most dynamic prospects on the ... Read the full article
Dylan Cozens just completed his second NHL season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens has been named to Team Canada’s entry at upcoming the World Championship in Finland, Hockey Canada announced today.
Cozens, 21, just completed his second NHL season, compiling 13 goals and 38 points in 79 games.
The Yukon native last represented Canada at the 2021 World Junior Championship, winning a silver medal while serving as captain.... Read the full article
