WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Calder Cup Playoffs Edition
Robin Lehner tries to stop Colorado’s Erik Johnson last season. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – At first glance, you might not recognize Robin Lehner. While the 6-foot-5 Sabres goalie wouldn’t give an exact number, he appears to have shed around 40 pounds since April. His hair, which he has often worn long, is closely cropped. His bushy beard is gone.
“I’ve lost a decent amount of weight, got in shape,” Lehner said Monday after skating inside HarborCenter. “I’ve done some life changes. It’s not always going in ... Read the full article
Robin Lehner shed pounds and hair this offseason. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – At first glance, you might not recognize Robin Lehner. While the 6-foot-5 Sabres goalie wouldn’t give an exact number, he appears to have shed around 40 pounds since April. His hair, which he has often worn long, is closely cropped. His bushy beard is gone.
“I’ve lost a decent amount of weight, got in shape,” Lehner said this morning after skating inside HarborCenter. “I’ve done some life changes. It’s not always going ... Read the full article
Robin Lehner only played 21 games last season. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Buffalo Sabres goalie Robin Lehner, who’s still recovering from season-ending ankle surgery in late March, has pulled out of next month’s World Cup of Hockey, Team Sweden announced today.
Former Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, will replace Lehner.
The Sabres expect Lehner, 25, to be their starting goalie in 2016-17 following a season in which he suffered a high right ankle sprain opening night and battled ... Read the full article
Alexander Nylander hasn’t worn a Sabres jersey on the ice yet. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Watching a top prospect skate in a Sabres jersey for the first time, even in a development camp setting, is a special experience for fans always eager to welcome new talent.
For the next six days, starting with today’s session inside HarborCenter, the Sabres’ rabid fan base will receive its first glimpses of Swedish winger Alexander Nylander, the eighth overall pick June 24 at the First Niagara Center, sporting blue and gold ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo was sold on Buffalo early. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The conversation lasted maybe 15 minutes. General manager Tim Murray wanted to gauge Kyle Okposo’s interest, and the free agent wanted to hear what the Sabres could offer him.
When Murray began telling him how underrated the city is, Okposo stopped him and said he knows all about Buffalo and likes it. The nine-year veteran wanted to learn more about the organization.
So after Murray talked about the Sabres and the bright future ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo will sign a lucrative contract. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The pickings are so slim in NHL free agency this year, perhaps the most coveted player available, Kyle Okposo, has never cracked the 30-goal or 70-point marks.
Okposo, of course, is a talented winger. The Minnesota native is coming off a 22-goal, 64-point season with the New York Islanders. He has 139 goals and 369 points in 529 NHL games over nine years, including three 20-goal seasons and two 60-point campaigns.
Yes, Okposo ... Read the full article
Tim Murray has a history of making big trades. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres’ acquisition of Hobey Baker Award winner Jimmy Vesey’s rights Monday could be the first of several notable moves general manager Tim Murray makes this NHL Draft week.
Murray, of course, has a penchant for wheeling and dealing, and with the Sabres hosting the draft and 11 picks in their arsenal, he might want to make a big splash.
The Sabres traded a 2016 third-round pick, 76th overall, for the 6-foot-2, ... Read the full article
Linus Ullmark struggled late in the season in Rochester. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
ROCHESTER – In the midst of a nine-game AHL winless stretch in which Buffalo Sabres prospect Linus Ullmark allowed 37 goals, the rookie goalie received a much-needed confidence boost.
When a bruised finger prevented goalie Chad Johnson from playing April 9, the Sabres recalled the struggling Swede from the Americans hours before their season finale against the New York Islanders.
In his first NHL start since Jan. 12, Ullmark helped the Sabres win 4-3 in ... Read the full article
Chad Johnson talks Sunday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Chad Johnson often talks about his desire to be a starting goalie, so not surprisingly, the Sabres veteran has already examined the jobs that could be open when he hits unrestricted free agency July 1.
“It’s hard not to,” Johnson said Sunday as the Sabres held their end-of-season meetings. “I try to stay as in the moment (as possible). I’m not going say which teams, but there’s four teams that need goaltenders or ... Read the full article
General manager Tim Murray (left) and coach Dan Bylsma are excited about the Sabres’ direction.. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Following a 27-point improvement in 2015-16, a season in which the Sabres morphed from the NHL’s laughingstock into a legitimate team again, the playoffs “may actually be a realistic goal” next year, general manager Tim Murray said.
“So that will be our statement to the players, that yes, the goal is to reach the playoffs, and that we actually do expect that we can do that,” Murray said Monday during an end-of-season news ... Read the full article
