WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
July Edition
Isak Rosen has spent this season in Rochester. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Monday reassigned three of their top forward prospects – Jiri Kulich, Noah Ostlund and Isak Rosen – to their respective national teams for the upcoming World Junior Championship.
Kulich (Czech Republic) and Rosen (Sweden) have spent their first season in North America with the Rochester Americans, while Ostlund (Sweden) has played for Djurgardens, a pro team in HockeyAllsvenskan.
Kulich, 18, has scored six goals and 16 points in 24 games ... Read the full article
Matt Savoie played three preseason games for Buffalo. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
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
Eric Comrie signed with Buffalo during the summer. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After watching the first two preseason games, Sabres goalie Eric Comrie will likely be making his debut in tonight’s road contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Sabres, of course, expect Comrie, 27, to play a significant number of games this season or earn the starting job. He signed a two-year, $3.6 million contract during the offseason.
The rest of tonight’s game roster features mostly prospects and players ticketed for the Rochester Americans.... Read the full article
Lukas Rousek enjoyed a terrific postseason in Rochester last season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Having enjoyed a breakout stretch during the Rochester Americans’ long postseason run last spring, Lukas Rousek’s play no longer qualifies as a surprise.
In recording two goals and six points as the Amerks won two Calder Cup Playoff series, the Czech established himself as one of the Sabres’ notable forward prospects.
This year, the Sabres believe Rousek, 23, will keep making more significant strides in his development.... Read the full article
Jiri Kulich skates in Saturday’s Prospects Challenge game. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Forget that Jiri Kulich possesses a shot so lethal his coach described it as “scary.” Forget that the Sabres prospect has recently dominated his peers, scoring 17 goals over a torrid 16-game stretch. Forget that he already has a full season of pro hockey experience.
In a few weeks, following his first NHL training camp, the Sabres will likely assign Kulich to Rochester, where he will begin his North American career with the ... Read the full article
Buffalo selected Isak Rosen 14th overall in 2021. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Two months later, Isak Rosen has returned to the Sabres a more aggressive, assured and explosive prospect.
“He looks faster. He looks harder on the puck,” Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert said of Rosen’s rapid improvement since development camp ended in mid-July. “And his first step looks like it’s got either more pop or more assertiveness. So some of it’s physical.”
Rosen said prior to recording an assist in Thursday’s Prospects Challenge opener ... Read the full article
Matthew Savoie talks to the media Wednesday. ©2022
BUFFALO – Seth Appert smiled and began searching for the right words to describe his first impressions of Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie.
The coach settled on two.
“Just electric,” Appert said Wednesday.
Two months ago, a shoulder injury forced Savoie, the ninth overall pick on July 7, to stay off the ice during development camp. So Appert had to wait until rookie camp opened at LECOM Harborcenter to watch the ultra-talented center up close.... Read the full article
Buffalo prospect Jiri Kulich could begin this season in the AHL. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
Three first-round picks – centers Matthew Savoie and Jiri Kulich and winger Isak Rosen – are among the 27 youngsters listed on the Buffalo Sabres’ roster for the upcoming Prospects Challenge rookie tournament.
The roster, released Monday, also includes Russian winger Aleksandr Kisakov, a second-round pick in 2020, and winger Flip Cederqvist, a fifth-round selection in 2019 coming off a 14-goal season in the Swedish Hockey League.
The Sabres open the tournament Thursday against the ... Read the full article
Noah Ostlund also joined Rochester last season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Friday signed their three first-round picks in last week’s NHL Draft – centers Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich – to three-year, entry-level contracts.
The deals each have a $950,000 average annual value, according to capfriendly.com.
Right now, the 18-year-old prospects are in Buffalo for development camp. Savoie, who underwent shoulder surgery earlier this year, isn’t participating in the on-ice sessions.
The Sabres selected Savoie ninth overall, Ostlund 16th and ... Read the full article
Sabres fans can get their first glimpse of prospect Noah Ostlund this week. ©2022
Eight first-round picks, including all three the Buffalo Sabres selected last week – centers Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich – are on the 43-man development camp roster the team released Monday.
The most anticipated camp in a long time – the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Sabres to cancel it the last two years – begins Wednesday at LECOM Harborcenter.
The roster is loaded with top prospects. Forwards Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn, Isak Rosen ... Read the full article
