Minnesota Wild - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Former Sabres star Thomas Vanek struggling to score with Wild

BUFFALO – Call it hockey’s worst-kept secret.

Of course, Thomas Vanek couldn’t say anything as he bounced from team to team last season. But the former Sabres star confirmed the suspicions when free agency opened July 1, signing a three-year, $19.5 million contract with the Minnesota Wild.

Vanek, a Minnesota resident and Golden Gophers college hero, wanted to return home.

“Honestly, every time I went out somewhere and got recognized, that was one of the ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tyler Myers ready for new challenge; Chris Stewart to return

BUFFALO – Right now, Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers said, the plan is “to disrupt as much as I can” in front of the net during power plays.

“I guess I’m used to being in that area defensively, but it’ll be different,” Myers said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “Usually I’m trying to carry out the puck, and now I’ll be trying score. So it’s a different look.”

The Sabres’ NHL-worst power play can’t ... Read the full article

Anemic Sabres offense on pace to set another mark for futility

BUFFALO – The joke all season has been the Sabres have one first line and three fourth lines. Right now, even that’s a stretch. No one can score.

The Sabres have only scored nine goals during their eight-game losing streak. They have 76 goals all season entering tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild, a stunning 1.7 a game.

At that anemic pace, the Sabres would score 141 goals in 82 games, nine fewer than they ... Read the full article

Reeling Wild not taking struggling Sabres lightly

BUFFALO – A year ago, a meeting with the Sabres changed the Minnesota Wild’s season.

The Wild had lost six straight games before beating the hapless club 4-1 on Jan. 2 in Minnesota. The team then ran off three more victories, saving its season and perhaps coach Mike Yeo’s job. The Wild later advanced to the second round of the playoffs, giving Chicago a tough series.

Fast forward to today, and Minnesota, having lost six ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta to make season debut

Buffalo Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta will make his season debut tonight against the Wild, coach Ted Nolan told reporters Wednesday in Minnesota.

Kaleta hasn’t played an NHL game since Oct. 10, 2013. The team’s old regime banished the agitator to the minors following a suspension early last season. He tore his ACL weeks later. Kaleta took a puck to the face during a Sept. 28 preseason game.

Meanwhile, defenseman Josh Gorges, who suffered a lower-body ... Read the full article

Rebuilding Sabres busy at trade deadline, not done overhauling roster

BUFFALO – Tim Murray said he began his first NHL trade deadline day as a general manager with no expectations, unsure which direction the rebuilding Sabres might go.

By the end Wednesday, Murray had made three notable deals, trading familiar names like Matt Moulson, Cody McCormick and Brayden McNabb while acquiring NHL talent and prospects. He also grabbed Canisius product Cory Conacher off waivers.

Murray, who sent franchise goalie Ryan Miller and captain Steve ... Read the full article

Sabres trade Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick to Wild

BUFFALO – The Sabres have traded winger Matt Moulson and forward Cody McCormick to the Minnesota Wild for winger Torrey Mitchell and a draft pick, according to reports.

Moulson, a three-time 30-goal scorer, is an unrestricted free agent following the season. The 30-year-old’s a legitimate first-liner and a respected veteran presence.

Given the Sabres’ sorry state and his value, Moulson seemed like a goner immediately after his Oct. 27 arrival from the New York Islanders.... Read the full article

Ted Nolan wants Sabres’ youngsters to learn from Zenon Konopka

BUFFALO – Zenon Konopka is joining the Sabres for more than his grittiness and faceoff prowess. In the 33-year-old center, they also possess a hardworking veteran the youngsters on the rebuilding team can learn from.

“Those type of guys are really good role models for the younger players,” interim coach Ted Nolan said Friday shortly after the Sabres plucked Konopka off waivers from the Minnesota Wild. “They last that long because they have that special ... Read the full article

Report: Sabres claim Zenon Konopka off waivers from Wild

BUFFALO – The Sabres have claimed gritty center Zenon Konopka off waivers from the Minnesota Wild, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Michael Russo.

The 33-year-old, a native of nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., is a rare mix of grit and skill, fighting regularly and annually ranking among the NHL’s faceoff leaders.

Konopka, 6-feet and 213 pounds, has 12 goals, 29 points, 1,049 penalty minutes and a minus-45 rating in 323 NHL games. He has one goal, ... Read the full article

Drew Stafford could be sidelined ‘little while;’ Sabres have limited options to fill forward void

Winger Drew Stafford suffered an upper body injury early in Thursday’s wretched 4-1 loss to the Wild could be sidelined “a little while,” interim Buffalo Sabres coach Ted Nolan said.

“I’m not 100 percent sure,” Nolan told reporters in Minnesota. “But it’s not a day-to-day thing.”

That means the Sabres, who only had 12 healthy forwards, have to find add another one.

But where do they get one? They already recalled three recently.

Veterans Jamie ... Read the full article