Johnson - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres might have short want list in free agency

BUFFALO – For a rebuilding team fresh off two consecutive 30^th-place finishes, the Sabres’ shopping list entering free agency, which opens today at noon, is relatively small. A weekend of wheeling and dealing at the NHL Draft pretty much set the roster for the upcoming season.

The Sabres have two goalies, four forward lines and almost a full defense corps. Not bad for a team that finished 2014-15 using a patchwork lineup filled ... Read the full article

Sabres believe goalie Robin Lehner worth high price

SUNRISE, Fla. – Parting with the 21^st pick in a deep NHL Draft wasn’t easy for Tim Murray. With the Buffalo Sabres locked into picking Jack Eichel second overall Friday, the general manager recently told his scouts to focus on the team’s other first-round pick.

Murray wanted them to go deep and dig into those prospects.

But the Sabres desperately needed a goalie for next season. Murray had choices. Plenty of established ones – ... Read the full article

Sabres acquire goalie Robin Lehner from Senators

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Buffalo Sabres have a new goalie.

The rebuilding team acquired Robin Lehner and center David Legwand from the Ottawa Senators this morning for the 21^st pick in tonight’s NHL Draft.

The trade is the first between Sabres general manager Tim Murray and his uncle and counterpart, Bryan Murray.

The 23-year-old Lehner is 30-36-13 with a 2.88 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage in 86 games. The emergence of ... Read the full article

Sabres GM Tim Murray wants to trade for young goalie

BUFFALO – If general manager Tim Murray gets his way, the Sabres will pry a young backup from another team soon to help fill their goaltending void.

“I’m confident that we can find something that can work here just by talking to other teams,” Murray said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “There are people available. That’s the avenue we’re pursuing right now.”

The Sabres only have one NHL goalie, Chad Johnson, a career ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Anders Lindback wants to return following strong run as starter

BUFFALO – Many figured goalie Anders Lindback would play a few games, contribute to the Sabres’ push for the No. 1 draft pick and quietly leave following the season.

Lindback, after all, was just a body the Sabres received from the Dallas Stars when they dealt goalie Jhonas Enroth. They needed someone for practice and to dress for games, right?

Statistically, the 26-year-old Lindback was perhaps the NHL’s worst goalie upon his arrival Feb. ... Read the full article

Sabres should close with intense opponents

BUFFALO – Expect the Sabres’ final two games this season – Friday’s road tilt in Columbus and Saturday’s finale against Pittsburgh – to be slightly more intense than Monday’s 4-3 home win against Carolina, a drab affair.

The Blue Jackets, having won nine straight games recently, are scorching. The Penguins might need the game to make the playoffs.

“Carolina’s out, we’re out,” Sabres coach Ted Nolan said. “When you have two out, it’s tougher. But ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Nick Baptiste thriving in new role with Otters

Joining a loaded Erie Otters team featuring Connor McDavid and two other slick 100-point scorers earlier this season has allowed Buffalo Sabres prospect Nick Baptiste to sharpen and expand his game before he begins his pro career.

The Ontario Hockey League powerhouse doesn’t rely on the winger’s offense.

The Otters have McDavid, hockey’s biggest prospect in a decade; Dylan Strome, the league’s leading scorer; and Alex DeBrincat, who quietly scored 51 goals, more than ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Marcus Foligno looks to brother’s star play for inspiration

BUFFALO – For about 24 hours, Marcus Foligno enjoyed the family’s bragging rights. The Sabres winger felt good after scoring twice Friday, his first goals in 24 games.

Then Foligno’s older brother, Nick, a breakout star with the Columbus Blue Jackets, outdid him Saturday, scoring his first NHL hat trick and hitting the prestigious 30-goal, 70-point marks.

“He had to go out and one-up me,” Marcus Foligno joked Monday prior to the Sabres’ 4-3 win ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta honored to wear letter: ‘I was at a loss for words’

BUFFALO – It was Wednesday morning, and before the Sabres hit the ice, Ted Nolan had some business to take care of in a team meeting. The coach handed Mike Weber a jersey, which the defenseman then tossed to winger Patrick Kaleta.

The jersey was Kaleta’s No. 36 with an ‘A’ stitched on it, meaning Weber wanted the heart-and-soul player to take over his alternate captaincy.

Emotion overwhelmed Kaleta. The 28-year-old Angola native had ... Read the full article

Patrick Kaleta on wearing letter: ‘It really means the world to me’

The jersey was Kaleta’s No. 36 with an ‘A’ stitched on it, meaning Weber wanted the heart-and-soul player to take over his alternate captaincy.

Emotion overwhelmed Kaleta. The 28-year-old Angola native had ... Read the full article