Houser - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres sign goalie Michael Houser to NHL contract

The Buffalo Sabres on Monday signed goalie Michael Houser, who has spent all season with the Rochester Americans, to an NHL contract and placed him on waivers.

This is the third straight year the Sabres have awarded Houser, 30, an NHL deal during the season. Each time, he had been playing on an AHL contract.

His new contract is worth a prorated $750,000 in the NHL and $100,000 in the minors, according to capfriendly.com.... Read the full article

Despite scoring twice, Sabres prospect Filip Cederqvist costs Amerks win

ROCHESTER – In scoring his first two goals for the Americans, rookie Filip Cederqvist showcased why he has developed into one of the Buffalo Sabres’ most intriguing forward prospects.

Early in the second period of Friday’s 6-5 overtime loss, Cederqvist, 22, grabbed Isak Rosen’s pass beside the net on the power play and quickly stuffed the puck past Cleveland Monsters goalie Daniil Tarasov.

The 6-foot-3, 196-pound Cederqvist scored another power-play goal midway through the period, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt producing despite struggles at even strength

BUFFALO – Late in the second period of Thursday’s 7-4 loss, Casey Mittelstadt grabbed a short pass in the left circle and darted to the net. When the Sabres center approached the crease on his forehand, it briefly appeared he would shoot.

But Mittelstadt held the puck and, a split second later, he lifted a quick backhander past Vegas Golden Knights goalie Logan Thompson, tying the game at 2.

The slick goal, his second power-play ... Read the full article

Sabres trim roster, send Matt Savoie to junior, 21 players to Amerks

The Buffalo Sabres on Saturday assigned center Matt Savoie to his junior team and loaned 21 players to the Rochester Americans, their AHL affiliate.

They have 31 healthy players left in training camp. They must finalize their 23-man regular-season roster by 5 p.m. on Oct. 10.

The Sabres gave Savoie, the ninth overall pick this year, a long look during camp, awarding him three preseason games before sending to the Winnipeg Ice. Savoie, 18, was ... Read the full article

After two years away, Lawrence Pilut back with Sabres organization

Defenseman Lawrence Pilut has returned to the Buffalo Sabres organization after a two-year stint in the Kontinental Hockey League.

The Sabres on Friday signed Pilut, 26, to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000 in the NHL and $300,000 in the AHL, according to capfriendly.com. The Swede played 46 NHL games during his first stint with Buffalo.

General manager Kevyn Adams acknowledged earlier this week the Sabres wanted to re-sign Pilut but needed proof his contract ... Read the full article

After re-signing Craig Anderson, Sabres must acquire more goalies

BUFFALO – When veteran goalie Craig Anderson finished his first season with the Sabres, he wanted to take some time to decompress and evaluate his future.

The Sabres felt Anderson’s impact – in addition to stabilizing their net, he established himself as a leader and mentor on the rebuilding club – and sorely wanted him back for another season.

But Anderson, 41, needed to talk to his family and see how his body felt before ... Read the full article

After rough stints with Sabres, goalie Aaron Dell found game with Amerks

ROCHESTER – Goalie Aaron Dell arrived in Buffalo nine months ago as perhaps the favorite to win the Sabres’ backup job before enduring a miserable preseason and getting waived.

When an opportunity materialized to play in the NHL a month later, Dell struggled so badly the Sabres acquired another netminder and demoted him to the AHL again.

Dell, 33, compiled downright awful statistics – a 1-8-1 mark with a 4.03 goals-against average and an ... Read the full article

Sabres sign prospect Olivier Nadeau to entry-level contract

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Olivier Nadeau, a fourth-round pick in 2021, 97th overall, to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Sunday.

Nadeau, 19, set career highs across the board this season, recording 35 goals, 43 assists and a team-high 78 points in 65 games for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Shawinigan Cataractes. His 17 power-play goals were tied for fourth in the league.

The 6-foot-2, 204-pound Nadeau also registered two goals, ... Read the full article

Utica’s Nolan Foote scores a first-period goal on Rochester goalie Aaron Dell on Tuesday.

Amerks fall to Comets, can’t close out series: ‘Wanted to finish it off now’

ROCHESTER – In opening up a series lead and putting the Utica Comets on the brink of elimination from the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Americans hadn’t seen the best out of the AHL powerhouse.

The top-seeded Comets only showcased flashes of their slick regular-season form throughout the first three games of best-of-five AHL North Division semifinal. In a do-or-die scenario Tuesday, you figured they would come out roaring.

Well, in Game 4, the Comets gave ... Read the full article

Back from Sabres, Peyton Krebs buoys Amerks to dramatic overtime win

ROCHESTER – When the Sabres assigned Peyton Krebs to the AHL following a successful 48-game stint in Buffalo, they probably hoped the center would be an offensive catalyst for the Americans in his first taste of playoff hockey.

Sure enough, after a slow start, Krebs helped the Amerks complete a furious three-goal, third-period comeback in Wednesday’s dramatic 4-3 win overtime win against the Belleville Senators before a raucous crowd of 6,044 fans at Blue Cross ... Read the full article