Mittelstadt - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Goalies Carter Hutton, Linus Ullmark could share Sabres’ net this season

After snatching the starting job from Carter Hutton last season, Linus Ullmark figured to have the inside track to be the Buffalo Sabres’ No. 1 goalie this year.

Ullmark, 27, morphed into a workhorse a year ago, playing 26 out of 32 games at one point as Hutton struggled.

But not surprisingly, coach Ralph Krueger said he wants to foster internal competition and “keep the picture small.” Right now, the Sabres don’t have a No. ... Read the full article

Casey Mittelstadt focused on making Sabres after having ‘blast’ with Amerks

On the surface, Casey Mittelstadt’s 36-game run with the Rochester Americans last season looks a little underwhelming.

In his first stint in the minors, Mittelstadt, 22, never morphed into a dominant AHL presence or forced his way back to the Buffalo Sabres. The center compiled nine goals, 25 points and a poor minus-15 rating – hardly numbers you might expect from an eighth overall pick with 114 games of NHL experience.

But Mittelstadt, who was ... Read the full article

Sabres assessing Victor Olofsson after crash into goalpost

Coach Ralph Krueger said the Buffalo Sabres are assessing winger Victor Olofsson, who left today’s practice after crashing into the goalpost.

“We do not have an update,” Krueger said on a Zoom call this afternoon.

Olofsson briefly left the KeyBank Center ice favoring his right arm and wrist before returning to practice, according to The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington. But Olofsson departed for good when the Sabres took a break to watch video.

Update:... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Jack Eichel misses first practice

Buffalo Sabres coach Ralph Krueger prefaced his update on the statuses of captain Jack Eichel and goalie Linus Ullmark with four words to alleviate any concern.

“All is under control,” Krueger said on a Zoom call Friday after both players missed the first session of training camp inside KeyBank Center.

Shortly before the Sabres’ first practice in almost 10 months, they announced Eichel, their MVP, would be sidelined Friday. The center suffered an upper-body injury ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jack Eichel day-to-day with upper-body injury

Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel will miss the first practice of training camp today and is day-to-day after sustaining an upper-body injury while training, the team announced this morning.

Center Casey Mittelstadt is subbing for Eichel between newcomer Taylor Hall and Victor Olofsson on the top line, according to The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski.

Meanwhile, goalie Linus Ullmark will miss the session because he’s quarantining because of an immigration issue, according to the team. Ullmark ... Read the full article

Sabres release training camp roster, schedule; 37 players to participate

On Friday, the Buffalo Sabres will touch the KeyBank Center ice for the first time in 296 days and begin preparing for the most unusual of seasons.

The NHL will be attempting to play during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will likely experience problems – positive tests, postponements or even cancellations – as the schedule unfolds.

But those potential roadblocks can be examined another day. The Sabres’ 10-month break is nearly over. Training camp officially ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Casey Mittelstadt to one-year contract

The Buffalo Sabres locked up their last restricted free agent today, signing center Casey Mittelstadt to a one-year, $874,125 contract.

Mittelstadt, 22, struggled last season, compiling four goals, nine points and minus-5 rating in 31 NHL games before the Sabres demoted him.

In the AHL, Mittelstadt scored nine goals and 25 points in 36 outings but also generated a wretched minus-15 rating during his first stint with the Rochester Americans.

It’s unclear where ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Victor Olofsson to two-year contract

The Buffalo Sabres have avoided arbitration with Victor Olofsson, re-signing the winger to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.05 million, the team announced today.

His hearing was scheduled for Wednesday.

The Sabres now have $3,495,833 of projected salary cap space, according to capfriendly.com.

Olofsson, 25, had a $767,500 cap hit as a rookie last season. He will be a restricted free agent again when the contract expires.... Read the full article

Sabres could re-sign Dominik Kahun after passing on qualifying offer

For weeks, there was speculation the Buffalo Sabres would pass on tendering defenseman Brandon Montour a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent.

Considering former general manager Jason Botterill traded a top prospect and a first round pick for Montour in 2019, the thought of letting him go seemed outrageous. But the belief was the Sabres, who have tightened their belts during the COVID-19 pandemic, did not want to pay Montour big money.

Well, Wednesday’s ... Read the full article

Sabres don’t tender Dominik Kahun qualifying offer

The Buffalo Sabres did not tender restricted free agent Dominik Kahun a qualifying offer before today’s 5 p.m. deadline, making the winger an unrestricted free agent.

That doesn’t, however, mean Kahun’s days in Buffalo are over. The Sabres could still sign Kahun, 25, to a different contract.

Kahun looked impressive in six games after arriving from the Pittsburgh Penguins before the trade deadline, scoring two goals and four points. The German quickly earned praise from ... Read the full article