Nolan - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Mike Weber confident he’s playing well despite NHL-worst rating

BUFFALO – Mike Weber knows the number looks terrible. In 43 games this season, the gritty Sabres defenseman has accumulated a stunning minus-32, the NHL’s 824th and worst rating.

In what was supposed to be his breakout campaign, Weber has become one of the fans’ whipping boys during the worst season in franchise history.

But Weber believes his big minus rating is a bit misleading.

As a defensive defender, the 26-year-old’s never going to ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Steve Ott says Buffalo ‘holds a big piece of my heart’

BUFFALO – Players of Steve Ott’s ilk – tough, versatile leaders with a scoring touch – are precious commodities. That’s why the Sabres captain should be in high demand before the NHL’s March 5 trade deadline. The winger could fetch at least a first-round draft pick.

Ott, an unrestricted free agent following the season, said today he hasn’t had any contact talks. He’s repeatedly said he’d love to stay with the rebuilding Sabres.

But what ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller will start Tuesday

BUFFALO – Sabres goalie Ryan Miller won’t have much time to rest after returning from the Sochi Games.

Interim coach Ted Nolan said today Miller will start Tuesday against Carolina, the Sabres’ first game following the Olympic break.

Of course, Miller, having served as Team USA’s backup, is still in Russia. The Americans lost the bronze medal game 5-0 to Finland today.

Miller doesn’t have much time to get acclimated again, but he’ll have more ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ted Nolan moved by Olympic experience, proud of Latvia’s effort at Sochi Games

BUFFALO – For Ted Nolan, leading Latvia’s surprising entry at the Sochi Games was just one part of the Olympic experience. The interim Sabres coach said his team “left the game at the rink.”

So Nolan attended curling, downhill skiing and speed skating events. He enjoyed simply sitting down in the cafeteria and trying to guess which sports the athletes played. He said he met a Mexican alpine skier who’s a prince and someone from ... Read the full article

Matt Moulson ready to return; Sabres will use weary goalie Tuesday

BUFFALO – Matt Moulson said he noticed “a weird thing” when he watched the Jan. 30 hit that has sidelined him four games. Phoenix’s Shane Doan just bumped the Sabres winger. But Moulson’s skate got caught and he fell down, and he elbowed himself in the rib.

“I originally thought I popped my own rib out,” Moulson said Friday inside the First Niagara Center after the Sabres’ first post-Olympic practice. “That wasn’t the case. ... Read the full article

Ted Nolan thrilled by Olympic experience; injured Sabres set to return

BUFFALO – One of Ted Nolan’s favorite parts of his Olympic experience was simply sitting down in the cafeteria and trying to guess which sports the athletes played.

The interim Sabres coach, who led Latvia’s surprising entry at the Sochi Games, said he met an alpine skier from Mexico who’s a prince and someone from Togo.

“I didn’t know where Togo was,” an exited Nolan said today after the Sabres practiced inside the First ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ted Nolan getting best out of Latvia at Olympics

Which game will you be watching?

Wednesday at noon, Ted Nolan’s underdog Latvia squad, fresh off today’s huge 3-1 upset of Switzerland, will play mighty Team Canada in quarterfinal action at the Sochi Games. At the same time, Team USA will face the Czech Republic.

Some Canadian Sabres fans might be torn watching their country play against Nolan, Buffalo’s popular interim coach.

Nolan has helped make the hardworking Latvians one of Sochi’s best stories. ... Read the full article

Latvia job changed Ted Nolan’s career, helped Sabres notice him

BUFFALO – Back in 2011, Ted Nolan had briefly returned to professional hockey as Rochester’s general manager, when one day his friend phoned unexpectedly.

“Ted,” the friend asked, “are you interested in going to Latvia?”

Nolan was stunned. He hadn’t coached since leaving the New York Islanders in 2008. He couldn’t even point out Latvia on a map.

“I said, ‘Where is it?’” the interim Sabres coach recalled last week inside the First Niagara Center.... Read the full article

Sabres waive Linus Omark, send Chad Ruhwedel and Phil Varone to Amerks

BUFFALO – In a move that might signal the end of his NHL career, the Sabres today waived winger Linus Omark, who had zero goals and two assists in 13 games.

They also sent defenseman Chad Ruhwedel and forward Phil Varone to Rochester.

The 27-year-old Omark, acquired from Edmonton for a conditional sixth-round draft pick Dec. 19, never impressed Ted Nolan much. The interim coach scratched the speedy Swede eight times, including Thursday’s ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Marcus Foligno will sit against Senators; GM Tim Murray says it’s not a lock goalie Ryan Miller gets traded

Not surprisingly, the Buffalo Sabres will change up their lineup tonight in Ottawa against the Senators, inserting forwards Zenon Konopka and Ville Leino, healthy scratches the last two games, for Marcus Foligno and Linus Omark.

Foligno, a fourth-liner the last two games, has zero goals in the last six games and just one score in 19 contests.

“He’s a young player,” interim Sabres coach Ted Nolan told reporters today in Ottawa. “He ... Read the full article