Kaleta - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta feeling great after surgery to remove bone chip

BUFFALO – These days, oft-injured Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta feels “like a new man” after undergoing surgery last month to remove a bone chip from his knee.

The chip – Kaleta said it’s like having a rock in your shoe – hampered the 28-year-old all season, he said this morning. He couldn’t straighten his knee or bend it all the way. Still, he kept playing with it and planned to get it cleaned out after ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta could return this season

BUFFALO – Some quick updates from a quiet Sabres practice today at the First Niagara Center:

– Of all the injured players out long-term, winger Patrick Kaleta (lower body) has the best chance of returning this season, Sabres coach Ted Nolan said. Kaleta recently had surgery and hasn’t played since Feb. 10.

“I think if there’s one of them, that’s the guy you’d bet on,” Nolan said. “He’s come through some tough injuries. He’s battled ... Read the full article

Chris Stewart prepared to leave Sabres at trade deadline

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Chris Stewart will leave town with no regrets, he said. Despite some tough times in Buffalo, he enjoyed playing here.

The Sabres will likely deal the honest veteran today before the 3 p.m. trade deadline, ending his one-year run with the rebuilding club. He’s excited about the fresh opportunity a trade could bring him.

A year ago at the deadline, St. Louis, a team built to win the Stanley Cup, dealt ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta to be sidelined 4-6 weeks after surgery

BUFFALO – Oft-injured Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta will be sidelined four to six weeks after he undergoes “minor surgery to clear up a couple things,” coach Ted Nolan said.

Kaleta had played 21 straight games before a lower-body injury sidelined him for Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Philadelphia. The injury isn’t related to one specific incident.

“I think it’s a combination of just the way he’s been playing and just to clean up some mess,” Nolan ... Read the full article

Johan Larsson ready for fresh opportunity with Sabres

BUFFALO – As the Sabres trickled out on the ice Sunday morning, coach Ted Nolan and winger Johan Larsson skated around and talked about the prospect’s latest recall.

Upon getting demoted to Rochester in early January, Larsson voiced his displeasure with having to skate on the fourth line in the NHL, a complaint that irked Nolan.

“Yeah, I was upset,” Nolan said. “Players play. The tail can’t wag the dog.”

So Nolan gave Larsson a ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Josh Gorges and Patrick Kaleta out against Flyers; Johan Larsson up

BUFFALO – The lower-body injury Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges has been nursing could sideline the veteran for a while.

Sabres coach Ted Nolan wouldn’t say Gorges’ season is over, however.

“I’m not too sure about that,” Nolan said this morning after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers inside the First Niagara Center. “We’ll see. He’s going to get a second opinion.”

Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta, meanwhile, had played 21 consecutive games, ... Read the full article

Ted Nolan vows Sabres will fight to finish after blockbuster trade

BUFFALO – What will happen now? The Sabres were the NHL’s worst team before they traded Tyler Myers, Jhonas Enroth and Drew Stafford. The final 27 games could be brutal without their best defenseman, starting goalie and No. 3 scorer.

Myers skated a team-high 25 minutes a game, zooming all over the ice. Despite the Sabres’ porous defense, Enroth tended some strong goal all season. Stafford had nine of the club’s 97 goals and 24 ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta regaining old form after injury

BUFFALO – Finally, 33 games into his season, Patrick Kaleta is buzzing around the ice regularly looking to thump opponents, a sign the aggressive Sabres winger has recovered from a torn ACL.

“It looks like he got his legs underneath him,” coach Ted Nolan said Tuesday prior to the Sabres’ 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators inside the First Niagara Center. “He’s searching for those big hits. You can just tell … his timing’s getting ... Read the full article

Ex-Sabres captain Steve Ott grateful for support in Buffalo

BUFFALO – They’re still all over town. Go to a Sabres game, walk around the mall or do some grocery shopping, and you’ll inevitably see someone wearing a No. 9 Steve Ott Sabres jersey.

“Must’ve been on sale when I got traded or something,” Ott joked Thursday prior to the St. Louis Blues’ 3-0 win, his first game in Buffalo since the Sabres dealt him Feb. 28. “I don’t know. Maybe they were just giving ... Read the full article

Former Sabres captain Steve Ott ready for Buffalo return with Blues

BUFFALO – Look out, Patrick Kaleta. Former Sabres captain Steve Ott said he wants a little revenge for the time you guys fought almost five years ago.

“He doesn’t really know, but I still owe him one for raising the roof when we got in a fight here,” Ott joked today after his St. Louis Blues prepared for tonight’s game. “I’ll be playing him a little harder than the others. But Patty’s one of my ... Read the full article