Eichel - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres want to pursue contract extension for Jack Eichel

BUFFALO – When Tim Murray spoke to Jack Eichel on Wednesday, the general manager told his young star the Sabres would improve after a last-place finish.

“I made the promise to him that I would do the best that I could to make the team around him better and that we would be a longtime playoff team,” Murray said of his exit meeting with Eichel.

Eichel, 20, hasn’t handled the Sabres’ struggles well. The center ... Read the full article

Tim Murray apologizes for Sabres’ poor season

BUFFALO – For now, after the Sabres’ disappointing last-place finish, Dan Bylsma is still coach, general manager Tim Murray said.

“He’s my coach today, I’m the general manager today,” Murray said this afternoon during his end-of-season news conference inside KeyBank Center. “There’s a review top to bottom. I have to meet with ownership next week in Florida. I’m sure I’ll be reviewed, I’m sure I’m being reviewed right now, as I should be.”

What does ... Read the full article

Johan Larsson’s absence hurt Sabres

BUFFALO – When center Johan Larsson suffered two season-ending dislocations New Year’s Eve, the Sabres quietly experienced a critical blow to their playoff hopes.

While the absences of some higher-profile forwards – Jack Eichel and Kyle Okposo, for example – garnered more attention, the Sabres struggled to replace Larsson’s tenacious two-way game.

Without Larsson, who dislocated his elbow and wrist, the Sabres became a “different team,” said Marcus Foligno, the Swede’s regular winger on ... Read the full article

Sabres missed Kyle Okposo’s leadership

BUFFALO – How valuable is Kyle Okposo to the Sabres? They went 4-11-1 without the winger in his first season here. After a mysterious illness sidelined him late, they closed the disappointing campaign 1-5.

Okposo was discharged from the Neuro Surgical ICU at Buffalo General Hospital on Friday, according to WIVB.

Sabres coach Dan Bylsma had no update on Okposo, 28, on Monday.

On the ice, Okposo compiled 19 goals and 45 points in ... Read the full article

Disappointing season leaves Sabres’ Jack Eichel seething

BUFFALO – Jack Eichel looked like he would’ve rather been anywhere else. The Sabres center was restless throughout his six-minute chat with the media Monday, mostly giving terse statements and looking around as he stood at a podium.

Eichel, 20, isn’t handling the Sabres’ last-place finish in the Atlantic Division – they also ended 2016-17 an embarrassing 15th in the 16-team Eastern Conference – very well.

“It’s tough,” a seething Eichel said inside KeyBank Center ... Read the full article

Coach Dan Bylsma ‘going forward’ with Sabres after disappointing season

BUFFALO – Jack Eichel looked like he would’ve rather been anywhere else. The Sabres center was fidgety throughout his six-minute chat with the media this afternoon, mostly giving short answers.

Eichel, 20, isn’t handling the Sabres’ last-place finish in the Atlantic Division – they also ended 2016-17 an embarrassing 15th in the 16-team Eastern Conference – very well.

“It’s tough,” a seething Eichel said inside KeyBank Center as the Sabres held end-of-season meetings. “You’re not ... Read the full article

Reports: Kyle Okposo hospitalized in intensive care; Sabres beat Canadiens

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Kyle Okposo is hospitalized and in intensive care at Buffalo General Hospital, according to two reports.

Okposo, 28, is in the Neuro Surgical ICU, according to WGR. The Buffalo News also confirmed the report.

Prior to Wednesday’s 2-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens, Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said he was “very concerned” about Okposo, who has undergone testing and been out of the lineup since last week.... Read the full article

Sabres grateful for fans’ rabid support

BUFFALO – Instead of securing that long-awaited playoff spot, the Sabres have stumbled, even regressed this season, again cementing their status as one of the NHL’s bottom-feeders.

This was, of course, supposed to be the year the drought ended. The Sabres would earn their first postseason berth since 2011. The tank, the years of suffering would finally pay dividends, right?

Well, it hasn’t worked out for the Sabres, who have three games left this season, ... Read the full article

Sabres players think NHL should stay in Olympics

BUFFALO – Having led Team USA at the Sochi Games in 2014, Dan Bylsma has what he called a “feeling about the Olympics” as both a coach and a fan.

“Most of my feelings are from a fan perspective,” the Sabres coach said today, a day after the NHL announced its players wouldn’t be participating in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

As a fan, Bylsma said he likes “it when the best players are playing in ... Read the full article

Jack Eichel appreciates loyalty from Sabres fans

BUFFALO – Center Jack Eichel said it’s “disappointing,” even “embarrassing” the Sabres haven’t performed better for the team’s loyal fan base.

“You want to please the fans because of all they’ve been through and all they continue to put up with,” Eichel said this morning following practice. “You still want to be better. It’s disappointing our season’s ending like this.”

The Sabres, of course, will miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season. This was ... Read the full article