NHL Draft - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres pick David Bedkowski morphed from ‘soft’ rookie into tough prospect

ORCHARD PARK – By his own admission, Buffalo Sabres prospect David Bedkowski arrived in the Ontario Hockey League as a “really soft” 15-year-old.

The toughness that has become the 6-foot-4, 221-pound right-shot defenseman’s greatest asset was non-existent.

“That wasn’t really part of my game at all,” Bedkowski said on a Zoom call Saturday after the Sabres selected him in the third round, 71st overall, in the NHL Draft.

So Derek Laxdal, his coach with the ... Read the full article

Sabres stay busy by trading for Conor Timmins; Bowen Byram’s future seems uncertain

ORCHARD PARK – When general manager Kevyn Adams called Conor Timmins to inform him the Sabres had acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins, the defenseman was at his parents’ cottage just across the border in Fort Erie, Ontario.

As he spoke to Adams on Saturday from the backyard, Timmins, who grew up a Sabres fan about 30 miles away from Buffalo in St. Catharines, said he could see KeyBank Center, the rink he will now ... Read the full article

NHL Draft Tracker: Sabres select David Bedkowski 71st overall, take goalies

ORCHARD PARK – The Buffalo Sabres this afternoon selected right-shot defenseman David Bedkowski in the third round, 71st overall, in the NHL Draft.

“Looking at myself with these colors, the Blue and Gold, it’s truly an out-of-body experience for me,” Bedkowski, proudly sporting a Sabres jersey, said on a Zoom call from Los Angeles. I’m super excited to be going to Buffalo

The 6-foot-5, 221-pound Bedkowski compiled three goals, seven points and 73 penalty minutes ... Read the full article

Sabres trade Connor Clifton and draft pick to Penguins for Conor Timmins and minor leaguer

ORCHARD PARK – The Sabres this afternoon traded defenseman Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick in the NHL Draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defensemen Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau.

Timmins, 26, has compiled six goals, 46 points and 64 penalty minutes in 159 career NHL games with the Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche.

The 6-foot-3, 213-pound Timmins registered three goals, 15 points and 30 penalty minutes in ... Read the full article

NHL Draft: Sabres had trade talks prior to taking Radim Mrtka; Buffalo planned to re-sign JJ Peterka

ORCHARD PARK – Up until the Buffalo Sabres selected defenseman Radim Mrtka ninth overall in Friday’s NHL Draft, general manager Kevyn Adams said he was having conversations with his counterparts about trading the pick.

Leading up to the draft, Adams seemed open to dealing his first-rounder for talent that could immediately help the Sabres. He wasn’t, however, going to trade it for the sake of it.

“There weren’t deals that I felt would have made ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: NHL Draft prospect Haoxi ‘Simon’ Wang left family in China to pursue hockey career in Toronto

ORCHARD PARK – Five years ago, NHL Draft prospect Haoxi “Simon” Wang took a life-changing risk, leaving his family in China to pursue a hockey career in Toronto.

Wang, who turns 18 on July 27, spoke little English and had no guarantees when he left Beijing. He was hardly a phenom. He simply loved hockey.

His parents saw his devotion to the sport and allowed him to move 6,500 miles away to Canada.... Read the full article

NHL Draft: Sabres select Radim Mrtka ninth overall

ORCHARD PARK – Early last season, Radim Mrtka, the right-shot defenseman the Buffalo Sabres selected ninth overall tonight at the NHL Draft, briefly played pro hockey in his native Czechia.

While he enjoyed competing against men, he received limited action. If he wanted to keep developing, he needed more minutes. So he chose to play junior for the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds.

The 6-foot-6, 218-pound Mrtka arrived in North America unable to speak or ... Read the full article

Sabres trade JJ Peterka to Mammoth in exchange for two players

In trading winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth, the Buffalo Sabres created a big, possibly temporary, hole in their lineup.

Michael Kesserling, the top asset the Sabres received in exchange for Peterka, fills their need for a right-shot defenseman. Winger Josh Doan, the other player acquired early Thursday morning, will likely be utilized on the third or fourth line.

Suddenly, the Sabres need a top-six forward to replace Peterka, who scored 27 goals and ... Read the full article

While changes are possible, it appears Sabres will keep assistant coaches

ORCHARD PARK – Kevyn Adams said he has given Lindy Ruff the green light to change his staff. The general manager even noted the coach has spoken to people about joining the Buffalo Sabres.

But right now, it appears Ruff, 65, will bring back the assistant coaches he worked with last season, when the Sabres mustered 79 points and finished 14th in the Eastern Conference.

Most teams, of course, likely wouldn’t run back the same ... Read the full article

Offseason likely to feature trades about to kick into high gear for Sabres

In winger JJ Peterka and defenseman Bowen Byram, the Buffalo Sabres possess two budding stars under 25.

Peterka, 23, is coming off a career-high 68-point season and has recorded 28 and 27 goals, respectively, in each of the last two campaigns.

Meanwhile, in his first full season in Buffalo, Byram, 24, enjoyed a breakout year, scoring 38 points while averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time per outing.

The youngsters, both of whom are due ... Read the full article