Nadeau - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres to pick 13th overall; Blackhawks win lottery, can draft Connor Bedard

The Buffalo Sabres stayed put in Monday’s NHL Draft Lottery, receiving the 13th overall pick.

The most interesting news, of course, was the Chicago Blackhawks, who had the third-highest odds at 11.5 percent, winning the lottery and the right to draft junior superstar Connor Bedard.

The Sabres, thanks to their 91-point finish this season – the fourth-highest total among non-playoff teams – weren’t eligible to win the first or second overall pick. A team can ... Read the full article

Lawrence Pilut, Sabres prospects help Amerks advance in Calder Cup Playoffs

SYRACUSE – Seth Appert walked into the dressing room after the Rochester Americans imploded and blew a three-goal lead to the Crunch and told his team take a breath, calm down, and that they would win.

Usually, the coach waits to address his players. But on Saturday, with a do-or-die overtime to decide the AHL North Division semifinal ahead, he wanted to reinforce his belief in them. Later in the intermission, he reminded them their ... Read the full article

Following injury, trade, Sabres prospect Olivier Nadeau enjoying stellar season

Olivier Nadeau’s goals might not dazzle you. The Buffalo Sabres prospect has morphed into a lethal net-front presence, utilizing his 6-foot-2, 201-pound frame to become a standout junior talent.

Nadeau, 20, scores a lot of the so-called “dirty goals.”

“My goals are not like highlight goals but they’re pretty decent,” Nadeau told the Times Herald shortly after scoring a career-high four goals for the Gatineau Olympiques on Feb. 9.... Read the full article

Sabres make moves, set 23-man roster; JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn stay in Buffalo

BUFFALO – The Sabres on Monday finalized their 23-man regular-season roster, sending goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the minors and placing forward Riley Sheahan on injured reserve with a muscle injury.

That means wingers JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn, both of whom enjoyed dynamic rookie seasons with the Rochester Americans last year, have made the big club.

While Peterka did not stand out during training camp, the Sabres are confident he ... Read the full article

After season of growth, Sabres have intriguing candidates to be captain

BUFFALO – For just the second time in their history last season, the Sabres did not name a captain.

Instead, having undertaken another rebuild, they named Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo, their two longest-tenured players, as alternates. The move worked, and the veterans helped the team establish a fresh culture after Jack Eichel was stripped of the captaincy.

This year, however, with the roster stabilized, general manager Kevyn Adams said the Sabres plan to name ... Read the full article

Sabres sign prospect Tyson Kozak to entry-level contract

The Buffalo Sabres on Friday signed forward Tyson Kozak, a seventh-round pick in 2021, 193rd overall, to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Kozak, 19, spent all of last season with the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks, setting career highs with 32 goals, 37 assists and 69 points in 66 contests while serving as captain. He also registered a team-high seven game-winning goals.

The 5-foot-11, 173-pound Kozak has compiled 48 goals and 109 points in 152 career ... Read the full article

Sabres sign prospect Isak Rosen to entry-level contract

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Isak Rosen, a first-round pick in 2021, 14th overall, to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Tuesday.

Rosen, 19, spent most of the 2021-22 season with Leksands IF, a Swedish Hockey League team, compiling two goals and four points in 28 games. He also registered four goals and nine points in eight outings for Leksands’ junior club.

The 5-foot-11, 159-pound Rosen played two games for Team Sweden’s ... Read the full article

Sabres sign prospect Olivier Nadeau to entry-level contract

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Olivier Nadeau, a fourth-round pick in 2021, 97th overall, to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Sunday.

Nadeau, 19, set career highs across the board this season, recording 35 goals, 43 assists and a team-high 78 points in 65 games for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Shawinigan Cataractes. His 17 power-play goals were tied for fourth in the league.

The 6-foot-2, 204-pound Nadeau also registered two goals, ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Why did Victor Olofsson change his number again?

BUFFALO – Three years into his NHL career, Sabres winger Victor Olofsson is already sporting his third number.

The Swede recently switched to No. 71 after having No. 68 for two seasons. He also briefly wore No. 41 for his first six NHL games late in the 2018-19 season.

Why did Olofsson pick new digits? When he broke into the NHL, No. 71, one of his favorite numbers, was worn by Evan Rodrigues, a forward ... Read the full article

Why did Sabres suddenly focus on Russians during NHL Draft?

BUFFALO – You had to go back five years and 34 picks to find the last time the Sabres drafted a Russian.

Before they selected winger Prokhor Poltapov 33rd overall Saturday, they hadn’t drafted a Russian since winger Vasily Glotov in the seventh round in 2016.

Poltapov’s selection was harbinger. The Sabres used three straight picks on Russians and took four overall Saturday.

Later in the second round, the Sabres drafted winger Aleksandr Kisakov with ... Read the full article