McCabe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres prospect Sam Reinhart will debut opening night; final roster still not set

BUFFALO – Top Sabres prospect Sam Reinhart, the No. 2 pick in June, will make his NHL debut on Thursday against Columbus, coach Ted Nolan said this afternoon.

The 18-year-old Reinhart was among 23 healthy skaters on the ice today. NHL teams must reach the 23-man roster limit by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

While Nolan said today’s practice group was pretty close to the opening-night roster, the Sabres are still discussing moves.

The Sabres sent ... Read the full article

Report: Sabres send Mikhail Grigorenko to Amerks

BUFFALO – A strong training camp couldn’t earn 20-year-old center Mikhail Grigorenko an NHL roster spot.

The Sabres have sent Grigorenko to AHL Rochester, according to Jay Grossman, the prospect’s agent.

Many had the Russian ticketed for the Americans before an impressive camp caught Sabres coach Ted Nolan’s attention.

Based on his camp, Grigorenko could be in line for a recall. He should receive big minutes in Rochester, where he played 14 games late last ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Mikhail Grigorenko must keep impressing to earn roster spot

BUFFALO – Two weeks into training camp, center Mikhail Grigorenko remains the Sabres’ biggest surprise. Two more impressive outings could earn the Russian prospect a roster spot.

“He’s been looking really good,” Sabres coach Ted Nolan said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “He’s strong on the puck. He’s been making some really good plays. So the biggest thing right now is keep seeing him do it.”

Grigorenko has two more preseason opportunities, tonight ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Tim Schaller to make preseason debut

BUFFALO – Ted Nolan knew very little about Sabres prospect Tim Schaller prior to training camp. The center hasn’t dazzled the coach, but his play away from the puck has been catching Nolan’s eye.

“I just thought his hockey intelligence was evident to a few of us,” Nolan said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “He kept doing it day after day after day. We just felt that he deserves an opportunity.”

Schaller, an ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Brendan Lemieux ready for preseason debut

BUFFALO – Rookie Brendan Lemieux figures he has a chance. Sure, the Sabres have more experienced players fighting for the two or three open wing spots this training camp. But the 18-year-old believes a place in tonight’s preseason lineup means they want to evaluate him.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have a chance,” Lemieux, the 31^st pick in June, said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “I don’t think they would’ve ... Read the full article

GM Tim Murray wants higher expectations for Sabres, quick rebuild

BUFFALO – Tim Murray has thought about how an NHL team could tank a season. The general manager even discussed some scenarios with the media. But he has no intention of keeping the Sabres at the bottom of the league.

With a couple of franchise-altering talents available in the 2015 draft, plenty of teams could purposely field less-than-stellar lineups next year.

The Sabres, whose previous regime played for draft picks, won’t be among them.

“I ... Read the full article

Sabres can’t keep top pick during lottery, will draft second in June

BUFFALO – Chalk up one more loss for the Sabres this season.

The rebuilding club couldn’t retain the No. 1 overall pick during Tuesday’s NHL Draft Lottery in Toronto. Instead, the Florida Panthers moved up one spot to the top selection.

The Sabres will pick second in June. Thanks to their 30^th ranking this season, the Sabres had a 25 percent chance of keeping the top pick, more than any other team. The ... Read the full article

GM Tim Murray doesn’t hold back discussing Sabres’ future

BUFFALO – In an end-of-season news conference that will likely become part of local lore, general manager Tim Murray bluntly discussed the Sabres’ future, tonight’s NHL Draft Lottery and took some not-so-veiled shots at the team’s old regime this afternoon inside the First Niagara Center.

He even mentioned the Sabres getting their “pee-pee slapped” by the league recently.

Sabres goalie Connor Knapp on first NHL start: ‘Quite a moment in my life’

BUFFALO – On March 15, more than 4,000 miles from Buffalo, Sabres goalie Connor Knapp stopped 24 shots in the Alaska Aces’ 4-2 win against the Colorado Eagles in Anchorage.

Twenty-nine days later, Knapp, the sixth goalie on the organization’s depth chart, made his first NHL start in the Sabres’ 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Islanders.

Knapp grew up in York, a small town about 30 miles from Rochester.

“It’s crazy,” the 23-year-old ... Read the full article

Season filled with turmoil about to end for reeling Sabres

Mercifully, 193 days after it started, the most tumultuous season in Buffalo Sabres history will end around 7:30 p.m. Sunday inside the First Niagara Center.

The finale can’t come quickly enough for the reeling Sabres, losers of six straight games and 17 of their last 19.

In a season filled with turmoil, the Sabres endured arguably their roughest game this afternoon in Boston, losing five more players to injury, including goalie Matt Hackett, in ... Read the full article