WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
March Edition
Luke Adam is one of the AHL’s top scorers this season. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BRIGHTON – Whatever’s going on with the Buffalo Sabres right now, well, Luke Adam doesn’t care about it. Whatever general manager Darcy Regier or coach Ron Rolston are saying, the 23-year-old Rochester Americans winger isn’t worried about it.
“I’m not focused on what the Sabres are doing,” Adam said Tuesday inside Bill Gray’s Iceplex. “Frankly, I don’t care what’s going on up there, what people are saying or how everything’s going.”
Adam, whose scorching eight-goal, ... Read the full article
The Sabres traded Thomas Vanek on Sunday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Some interesting new details have emerged about Sunday’s big swap, which sent Sabres co-captain and top scorer Thomas Vanek to the New York Islanders.
The Sabres retained 19.5 percent of Vanek’s $6.5 million salary in the trade, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. They also kept the same portion of his salary cap hit.
Perhaps that’s why the Isles, who sent high-scoring winger Matt Moulson to the Sabres, also parted with a ... Read the full article
Corey Tropp has missed the whole season. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Before Corey Tropp broke his jaw fighting Toronto’s Jamie Devane Sept. 22, the Sabres winger, who tore up his right knee last season, enjoyed some peace of mind.
The few doubts the 24-year-old had about the injury vanished during the preseason.
“I grew that confidence with each day of training camp,” Tropp, who could make his season debut this weekend, said this afternoon following practice inside the First Niagara Center. “‘Oh, ... Read the full article
The Sabres’ Mikhail Grigorenko (blue) fights his ex-teammate, Minnesota’s Jason Pominville, for the puck Monday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – In their seventh consecutive loss to open the season, a 2-1 setback to the Minnesota Wild on Monday, the hapless Sabres showcased some improvement before the 18,111 fans inside the First Niagara Center.
Yes, the defeat tied the franchise mark for worst-ever start. Yes, their feeble offense mustered only one goal again, raising their NHL-low total to seven.
But, hey, the Sabres, who began the night allowing a stunning 37 shots a ... Read the full article
Jason Pominville had never skated in the First Niagara Center as an opponent before Monday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Once the initial shock of getting traded to the Minnesota Wild in April started wearing off, former Sabres captain Jason Pominville said he “really took a step back” and began examining his new gig.
Pominville was leaving a team beginning a rebuilding process for the upstart Wild, a club constructed to win the Stanley Cup immediately.
The Wild had just signed stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to huge twin contracts. Many believed ... Read the full article
Jason Pominville skates this morning. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Once the initial shock of getting traded to the Minnesota Wild in April started wearing off, former Sabres captain Jason Pominville said he “really took a step back” and began examining his situation.
Joining the Wild, a team built to win the Stanley Cup now, would be a terrific experience.
“For my career, it might be the best thing to go to somewhere where the teams are heading in completely different directions,” Pominville ... Read the full article
Jason Pominville talks with some old friends this morning. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Defenseman Henrik Tallinder will return tonight against popular former Sabres captain Jason Pominville and the Minnesota Wild following a four-game absence.
With Tallinder (upper body) back from injured reserve, either rookie Rasmus Ristolainen or Alexander Sulzer, the spare defenders this morning, will be sent to Rochester, Sabres coach Ron Rolston said.
Update: Sulzer has been assigned to the AHL.
Meanwhile, backup goalie Jhonas Enroth will make his third start for the winless Sabres ... Read the full article
Jason Pominville played 578 games with the Sabres. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – They became the rebuilding Sabres around 4 p.m. on April 3.
In trading versatile captain Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild for draft picks and prospects that day, the Sabres signaled they had given up on the present and started looking to the future.
Six months later, with the former franchise cornerstone returning tonight to the First Niagara Center, the winless Sabres (0-5-1) are a mess, probably the NHL’s worst team.
Another loss ... Read the full article
Johan Larsson has played one NHL game. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Johan Larsson isn’t just another prospect. Having been acquired in April’s huge Jason Pominville trade with Minnesota, the 21-year-old center’s one of the Sabres’ most hyped youngsters.
Not many players get traded for a captain and franchise cornerstone.
“They really wanted me, I think,” Larsson, who will make his Sabres debut in tonight’s home opener, said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “I’m just going like they told me, go out and ... Read the full article
Ville Leino (left) will be replaced by Johan Larsson. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres winger Ville Leino just can’t stay healthy.
Leino, who played only eight games last season while battling a hip and lung injury, cracked a rib early in Wednesday’s season-opening 2-1 loss in Detroit and is out indefinitely.
The Finn should only miss a couple of weeks, Sabres coach Ron Rolston said Thursday inside the First Niagara Center.
Leino stayed in the game, skating 12:38. But Rolston said the rib “seized up” overnight.... Read the full article