O'Reilly - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres already need to make up ground in standings

BUFFALO – To locate the Sabres’ current standing, look in a familiar place. Find the Atlantic Division and scan down, all the way to the bottom. There, in eighth place, you’ll spot the 1-2-2 club.

The Sabres are one of four NHL teams with just a single win and four points. Only one team, the Arizona Coyotes, has fewer points.

Yes, it’s early. The Sabres have 77 games left, starting with tonight’s home tilt against ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Sam Reinhart happy with move to center

BUFFALO – It was only a matter of time before Sam Reinhart switched positions.

With center Jack Eichel injured, Sabres coach Dan Bylsma loaded up his top line early, keeping Reinhart at right wing, this time beside Ryan O’Reilly and Kyle Okposo.

Reinhart, however, produced only two assists in four games. The 1-2-1 Sabres, meanwhile, have just 11 goals as a team, six of them in one outing.

They clearly miss the talented ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Matt Moulson off to hot start

BUFFALO – The genesis of Sabres winger Matt Moulson’s revival began in the wintertime, long before he started a productive summer of training in which he reshaped his body, helping him add some much-needed speed.

Eight or nine months ago, at the behest of management, Moulson changed his work habits as he struggled through an awful eight-goal season.

When the Sabres challenged Moulson, they hoped he would reap benefits this season. So far, ... Read the full article

Sabres recall Hudson Fasching, Casey Nelson; Top line changed

BUFFALO – Some quick update from KeyBank Center, where the Sabres practiced for about an hour today after returning home from Vancouver early Friday morning:

– The Sabres recalled winger Hudson Fasching and defenseman Casey Nelson from the Rochester Americans this morning.

The rookies, who practiced today, played two weekend games, their first-ever AHL appearances. Both scored Friday. Nelson has been scratched the last three NHL games; Fasching has sat the last two.

“I felt ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jack Eichel could miss 6-8 weeks; GM Tim Murray signs contract extension

BUFFALO – In Ottawa, top pick Auston Matthews compiled the greatest debut in modern NHL history, scoring an eye-popping four goals for Toronto. In Edmonton, the slick Connor McDavid enjoyed a dynamic season opener, scoring two goals and three points.

Hours before Jack Eichel’s contemporaries began the 2016-17 season in grand fashion Wednesday, the young Sabres star sustained a high left ankle sprain late in practice.

Eichel, 19, watched Thursday’s 4-1 season-opening loss to the ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jack Eichel has ‘moderate’ ankle sprain; Ryan O’Reilly ready for opener

BUFFALO – The scary high ankle sprain center Jack Eichel suffered when his left leg buckled Wednesday is “moderate,” coach Dan Bylsma said this morning.

Still, Bylsma said Eichel, 19, will be sidelined “more weeks than days at this point.” He didn’t give a firmer timeline.

Clearly, Eichel’s injury late in the final practice before tonight’s season opener against the Montreal Canadiens shocked the team. The young star, a popular teammate, is supposed to have ... Read the full article

Jack Eichel’s ankle injury rocks Sabres before season opener

BUFFALO – The loud thud center Jack Eichel made crashing to the ice broke through the din that accompanied the Sabres’ final preseason practice.

It was approaching 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, the eve of the season opener, and coach Dan Bylsma wanted another 10 minutes, maybe less, from his players before they showered and headed to the team’s annual kickoff luncheon.

Then, suddenly, Eichel’s left leg buckled after he lifted Zemgus Girgensons’ stick during a power ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Rasmus Ristolainen happy to have contract done

BUFFALO – Rasmus Ristolainen said he trusted a new contract would be finished. Still, the Sabres defenseman wasn’t sure if his deal would be completed before tonight’s season opener.

“Thursday was coming pretty quick,” said Ristolainen, who signed a six-year, $32.4 million contract Tuesday, ending a brief holdout.

The Finn, 21, practiced Wednesday beside new partner Dmitry Kulikov as the Sabres prepared for the Montreal Canadiens inside KeyBank Center.

Ristolainen briefly left the Sabres earlier ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jack Eichel injures ankle, status uncertain

BUFFALO – Just a day before the season opener, Sabres center Jack Eichel injured his left ankle in a scary scene late during today’s practice, leaving the young star’s status uncertain.

“Not a lot to tell after that,” Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. “He’s going to get evaluated this afternoon.”

Update: The Sabres have announced Eichel has a high ankle sprain. No timetable has been set for his return. TSN’s Bob McKenzie, however, tweeted the ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Ristolainen signs 6-year, $32.4 million contract

BUFFALO – Just hours before he had to set his roster Tuesday afternoon, Sabres coach Dan Bylsma called the 23-man squad a “little bit of a moving puzzle.”

In addition to a slew of injuries, Bylsma had one missing piece – the biggest, perhaps – No. 1 defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, a holdout two days before the season opener against Montreal.

Bylsma was tight-lipped about the restricted free agent then, only saying he was “hopeful” ... Read the full article