WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
December Edition
Casey McCarthy grew up in Clarence. ©2023
NASHVILLE – The daily challenges an NHL general manager faces can keep you awake at night, Kevyn Adams said. Still, moments like the one he experienced Thursday at the NHL Draft table can make all the stress worth it.
After the Buffalo Sabres drafted defenseman Gavin McCarthy in the third round, 86th overall, he walked down to meet Adams and other members of the team.
McCarthy’s excitement made Adams’ mind flash back to all the ... Read the full article
Jack Quinn scored 14 goals as a rookie. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
NASHVILLE – Following a 14-goal rookie season, Buffalo Sabres winger Jack Quinn was expected to become a significant contributor in the upcoming campaign.
But the start of his sophomore season will be delayed months after he tore his Achilles tendon while training earlier this week. He underwent successful surgery Wednesday.
Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams wouldn’t speculate on a timeline for Quinn’s return, only saying it was “significant” and he will make a full recovery. ... Read the full article
The Sabres are scheduled to have seven picks today. ©2023
NASHVILLE – The Buffalo Sabres this morning selected Swedish center Anton Wahlberg in the second round, 39th overall, at the NHL Draft.
The 6-foot-3, 192-pound Wahlberg, who turns 18 next Wednesday, is NHL Central Scouting’s 30th-ranked European prospect.
Wahlberg compiled 14 goals and 27 points in 32 games for Malmo’s junior team last season. He scored two goals and four points in 17 contests for Malmo’s Swedish Hockey League team.
Update: The Sabres have drafted ... Read the full article
A smiling Zach Benson talks to the media Wednesday. ©2023
NASHVILLE – Winger Zach Benson had been a Buffalo Sabres prospect for about 20 minutes, but as a sat there smiling wearing a No. 23 blue jersey in Bridgestone Arena, he already seemed comfortable in his new organization.
Benson, the 13th overall pick at Wednesday’s NHL Draft, formed half of a lethal duo with Sabres center prospect Matt Savoie last season, combining for a whopping 74 goals goals and 193 points. As a 15-year-old Western ... 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
Zach Benson played with Buffalo prospect Matt Savoie in Winnipeg. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
NASHVILLE – The Buffalo Sabres tonight selected Winnipeg Ice winger Zach Benson at the NHL Draft.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Benson scored 36 goals and 98 points in 60 games last season while forming a dynamic duo with Sabres center prospect Matt Savoie. Benson added seven goals and 17 points in 15 Western Hockey League playoff outings.
Benson, 18, has compiled 71 goals and 181 points in 142 career WHL outings over three seasons.... Read the full article
Kevyn Adams has rebuilt the Sabres the way he wanted. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
NASHVILLE – Given their success last season and the talent they boast, you wonder if the Buffalo Sabres might take a big swing during the NHL Draft.
General manager Kevyn Adams has methodically rebuilt his team, refusing to take shortcuts that might jeopardize sustained long-term success. But they’re finally knocking on the door, having come within one win of earning that elusive playoff berth.
Adams possesses a stable of assets, including the 13th pick tonight ... Read the full article
Gabe Perreault has packed on weight over the past two years. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
NASHVILLE – The genesis of NHL Draft prospect Gabe Perreault’s recording-breaking season for Team USA’s Under-18 squad began a year earlier.
In 2021, Perreault arrived in Plymouth, Michigan, a skinny 16-year-old. Dan Muse, his former coach at the National Team Development Program, said the high-scoring winger weighed just 130 or 140 pounds.
So Perreault took advantage of the resources the program offers and reshaped his body.... Read the full article
Gavin McCarthy (left) and Quentin Musty go through fitness testing June 10 at the NHL Scouting Combine. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
NASHVILLE – The last time Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams saw NHL Draft prospect Gavin McCarthy, he ran into him, of all places, on the bike path behind his house in Clarence.
Adams, having run the Jr. Sabres and Academy of Hockey at LECOM Harborcenter before being named GM, knows a lot of high-end local prospects like McCarthy and Hamburg native Quentin Musty, who could be a first-round pick Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena.
His ... Read the full article
Kevin Adams has been deliberate in constructing the Sabres. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – This offseason, general manager Kevyn Adams is having different conversations with his counterparts as he works to improve the Sabres.
Having watched his team record 91 points and fall two points short of a playoff spot in 2022-23, he said he’s examining “every possible scenario.”
That wasn’t the case as the Sabres went through a two-year rebuild. But after enjoying their best season in 12 years, they’re a different mode this summer.
