Eichel - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres hope special player drafted first overall will change course of franchise

Kevyn Adams said his heart was racing before Wednesday’s NHL Draft Lottery. The Buffalo Sabres general manager looked intense. At one point, Terry Pegula texted him and told him to smile.

Leading up to the announcement, Adams said all the adversity the Sabres endured during a hellish season in which they finished dead last was flashing through his mind. He was also thinking about how much the top pick would mean to owners Terry ... Read the full article

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams ready to learn more about Jack Eichel’s recovery

After Sabres captain Jack Eichel suffered a season-ending neck injury March 7, doctors wanted him to go through a conservative rehab and be reevaluated after 12 weeks.

Sunday ended that period, so general manager Kevyn Adams plans to begin gathering information on the progress Eichel has made in his recovery from a herniated disc.

Eichel, who was non-committal in April about his future in Buffalo, wants to undergo a surgery that has never been performed ... Read the full article

Sabres will have opportunity to draft dynamic prospect with first pick

The Buffalo Sabres, by virtue of their embarrassing last-place finish this season, have the highest odds to secure the top pick in tonight’s NHL Draft Lottery, just 16.6%.

The league has changed this year’s lottery to two draws, meaning the Sabres can fall no lower than the third pick. Of course, given the large swath of talent available early in this year’s draft, where the Sabres pick might not matter much.

There’s no consensus first ... Read the full article

If Sabres pass on Don Granato, hiring an ex-NHL head coach could be wise move

Right now, Don Granato must wait as Kevyn Adams conducts what could be an exhaustive search for the Buffalo Sabres’ next head coach.

The general manager reiterated last week he plans to talk to a lot of people, so it might take several weeks before he makes the most critical decision of his short tenure.

If Adams gets it wrong, it will likely set the franchise back years.

Granato’s work transforming the Sabres as interim ... Read the full article

Strong message: Sabres’ Kevyn Adams wants ‘people that want to be here’

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said it five times during his 43-minute virtual news conference, first when he was talking about disgruntled captain Jack Eichel and later when center Sam Reinhart and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen’s frustrations came up.

Adams stated it a few different ways, but the last four words and the strong message remained the same.

“We are going to get this right with the people that want to be here,” Adams said ... Read the full article

Kevyn Adams says Sabres don’t have disconnect with Jack Eichel

Kevyn Adams cut right to the chase, addressing the topic on everyone’s mind before he could be asked about it. The general manager doesn’t feel there has been a disconnect between the Buffalo Sabres and their captain, Jack Eichel, over how they’ve handled his season-ending neck injury.

“There has been constant communication,” Adams said on an end-of-season Zoom call this morning. “Constant communication, from myself to Jack, our organization to Jack’s agents, doctors to Jack, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ top young players excited for future: ‘Got a real good group here’

The contrast was stark. A day after Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen all essentially said they’d welcome a change of scenery after enduring years of losing and turmoil, several of the Sabres’ top young players spoke optimistically about their futures in Buffalo.

“Nothing but excitement,” winger Tage Thompson, 23, said on a Zoom call Tuesday as the Sabres held end-of-season meetings inside KeyBank Center after finishing dead last. “Obviously, we have ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Jack Eichel’s strong words will increase trade speculation

Jack Eichel sounded like he needed to vent. Right now, the captain’s frustrations extend beyond the Buffalo Sabres’ embarrassing last-place finish and missing the playoffs in each of his first six NHL seasons.

In Eichel’s first comments since he herniated a disc in his neck March 7, he acknowledged a “disconnect” between himself and the Sabres over how his season-ending injury has been handled.

“I would say I’ve been a bit upset about the way ... Read the full article

Jack Eichel acknowledges disconnect with Sabres over neck injury

In Jack Eichel’s first comments since he herniated a disc in his neck March 7, the captain acknowledged a “disconnect” between himself and the Buffalo Sabres over how his season-ending injury has been handled.

“I would say I’ve been a bit upset about the way things have been handled since I’ve been hurt,” Eichel said on a 25-minute Zoom call this afternoon as the Sabres held end-of-season meetings inside KeyBank Center following their last-place finish. ... Read the full article

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has offseason filled with critical decisions

Kevyn Adams experienced a brutal rookie season as Buffalo Sabres general manager, overseeing a team that suffered through an 18-game winless skid and finished dead last in the NHL.

Trying to fix the Sabres, who have missed the playoffs a record-tying 10 consecutive seasons, could be an arduous task.

Adams’ short list for this offseason includes hiring a coach, trying to re-sign his No. 1 goalie and top scorer and making sure his captain and ... Read the full article