Fogarty - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres notes: Don Granato overworks players; Buffalo plans to add prospects

BUFFALO – Instead of letting the Sabres rest and recover in the midst of their grueling schedule, interim coach Don Granato said he has “overworked” his players.

“We’re trying to push them harder to develop harder,” Granato said on a Zoom call prior to Wednesday’s 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank Center. “We know we have to get better. The focus has to be on that. And we have to trust that wins ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jacob Bryson set to return; Dylan Cozens’ status uncertain

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Jacob Bryson practiced today and will likely play in Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, interim coach Don Granato said.

Bryson, 23, missed Monday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Flyers recovering from an undisclosed injury. The rookie stumbled and fell into Bruins star David Pastrnak’s lower body late in Saturday afternoon’s 3-2 loss to Boston.

“He’s looking toward a go,” Granato said on a Zoom call following this afternoon’s practice inside ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tage Thompson could thrive under interim coach Don Granato

BUFFALO – After morphing from a first-liner into a healthy scratch earlier this season, Tage Thompson could enjoy regular duty under interim coach Don Granato.

Thompson needs consistent action to buoy his development. The 6-foot-7, 219-pound winger has played only 17 NHL games in a more than two-year stretch.

Monday’s 4-3 overtime loss to Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank Center was the Sabres’ 18th straight defeat. They have nothing to lose by playing him.

“It’s ... Read the full article

Everything has gone wrong for Sabres in chaotic season

Ninety minutes before his NHL head coaching debut, Kevyn Adams was more focused on stepping behind the bench than trying to process the chaos that has transpired in his first season as Buffalo Sabres general manager.

“I can’t even really get into all that,” Adams said on a Zoom call prior to the Sabres’ 16th consecutive loss, a 4-0 setback to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Can you blame Adams? The season from hell refuses to let ... Read the full article

Don Granato, Matt Ellis enter COVID-19 protocol; Kevyn Adams to coach Sabres

Interim Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato and assistant Matt Ellis have entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol and will be unavailable for tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team announced late this afternoon. General manager Kevyn Adams will coach the team.

Granato and Ellis are self-isolating, according to the team. Adams said they’re asymptomatic. Entering COVID-19 protocol doesn’t mean the person has tested positive.

The coaches, of course, were in close contact with the players, ... Read the full article

Goalie Linus Ullmark to join Sabres on road trip, start practicing

BUFFALO – The Sabres plan for injured goalie Linus Ullmark to join them on their four-game road trip later this week, interim coach Don Granato said.

The Sabres have imploded without Ullmark, their No. 1 goalie. Their 13-game losing streak began Feb. 25, the game he suffered a lower-body injury.

“We need to integrate him into practice,” interim Sabres coach Don Granato said on a Zoom call this afternoon. “At some point, that’s the next ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Jack Quinn wows in pro debut with Amerks

ROCHESTER – Seth Appert’s gut told him rookie Jack Quinn deserved an opportunity to follow C.J. Smith in the shootout.

After starting his pro debut slowly, Quinn, 19, grew comfortable as Thursday’s game progressed. Late in the third period, the Sabres prospect created Steven Fogarty’s tying power-play goal for the Americans.

So when Appert needed a second shooter after Smith scored, he wanted to utilize Quinn, an ultra-talented winger Buffalo drafted eighth overall last year.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Will Borgen looks impressive in first game action in nearly year

BUFFALO – In his first shifts in nearly a year, Sabres defenseman Will Borgen said he was breathing heavy.

Nothing, of course, can replicate game action, and Borgen, 24, hadn’t experienced any since March 11 as a member of the Rochester Americans.

“Just not used to the speed, controlling my energy,” Borgen said of the early moments of Monday’s 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center.

But Borgen, who had spent the ... Read the full article

Sabres send two players to taxi squad, four others to Amerks

The Buffalo Sabres this morning assigned forward Rasmus Asplund and defenseman Will Borgen to the taxi squad and also sent three players from the taxi squad to the AHL.

Defenseman Jacob Bryson and forwards Steven Fogarty, Andrew Oglevie and C.J. Smith moved from the practice group to the Rochester Americans.

Asplund and Borgen both played in Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Brandon Davidson grateful for nomadic NHL life: ‘It’s been a wild ride’

BUFFALO – Other than a four-and-a-half year stint in the Edmonton Oilers organization, Sabres defenseman Brandon Davidson has led a nomadic hockey life, enjoying little stability as he zigzagged across North America.

Davidson, 29, began his NHL career with the Oilers, playing 91 games over parts of three seasons. Since leaving Edmonton the first time in 2016-17, he ranks among hockey’s most well-traveled players, never spending more than a full year with one team or ... Read the full article