Power - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres sign Bowen Byram to two-year contract, avoid salary arbitration

The Buffalo Sabres late Monday avoided salary arbitration with defenseman Bowen Byram, signing him to a two-year, $12.5 million contract.

When the contract expires, Byram, 24, can become an unrestricted free agent.

The Sabres now have two unsigned restricted free agents: goalie Devon Levi and defenseman Conor Timmins, who earlier this month filed for arbitration.

By recently electing for arbitration with Byram, the Sabres made him ineligible to sign an offer sheet.

Byram’s $6.25 million ... Read the full article

Sabres choose to take Bowen Byram to salary arbitration

The Buffalo Sabres today chose salary arbitration for restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

The moves means Byram, 24, is no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet.

In team-elected arbitration, the player picks the term of the award. For example, Byram could chose a two-year contract and become an unrestricted free agent when the deal expires.

The sides, of course, could complete a new contract before their hearing.... Read the full article

Kevyn Adams says Sabres would match any offer sheet to Bowen Byram

BUFFALO – If a team swoops in and gives restricted free agent Bowen Byram an offer sheet, general manager Kevyn Adams said the Sabres are prepared to match it.

“The moves we’ve made and the position we’ve put ourselves in from the cap perspective has been strategic,” Adams said prior to Wednesday’s session of development camp in LECOM Harborcenter. “If you leave just enough room in your cap that where maybe you see a projection ... Read the full article

Sabres stay busy by trading for Conor Timmins; Bowen Byram’s future seems uncertain

ORCHARD PARK – When general manager Kevyn Adams called Conor Timmins to inform him the Sabres had acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins, the defenseman was at his parents’ cottage just across the border in Fort Erie, Ontario.

As he spoke to Adams on Saturday from the backyard, Timmins, who grew up a Sabres fan about 30 miles away from Buffalo in St. Catharines, said he could see KeyBank Center, the rink he will now ... Read the full article

NHL Draft: Sabres had trade talks prior to taking Radim Mrtka; Buffalo planned to re-sign JJ Peterka

ORCHARD PARK – Up until the Buffalo Sabres selected defenseman Radim Mrtka ninth overall in Friday’s NHL Draft, general manager Kevyn Adams said he was having conversations with his counterparts about trading the pick.

Leading up to the draft, Adams seemed open to dealing his first-rounder for talent that could immediately help the Sabres. He wasn’t, however, going to trade it for the sake of it.

“There weren’t deals that I felt would have made ... Read the full article

NHL Draft: Sabres select Radim Mrtka ninth overall

ORCHARD PARK – Early last season, Radim Mrtka, the right-shot defenseman the Buffalo Sabres selected ninth overall tonight at the NHL Draft, briefly played pro hockey in his native Czechia.

While he enjoyed competing against men, he received limited action. If he wanted to keep developing, he needed more minutes. So he chose to play junior for the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds.

The 6-foot-6, 218-pound Mrtka arrived in North America unable to speak or ... Read the full article

Michael Kesselring, Josh Doan thrilled for chance trade to Sabres offers

When defenseman Michael Kesselring recently played alongside Sabres winger Tage Thompson with Team USA at the World Championship, he joked KeyBank Center in Buffalo was his favorite NHL arena.

On Nov. 12, 2023 in Buffalo, Kesselring scored his first NHL goal for the Arizona Coyotes against, of all goalies, Devon Levi, his former college teammate at Northeastern.

“So I can give him a little more crap about it a little bit more often now,” joked ... Read the full article

Sabres trade JJ Peterka to Mammoth in exchange for two players

In trading winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth, the Buffalo Sabres created a big, possibly temporary, hole in their lineup.

Michael Kesserling, the top asset the Sabres received in exchange for Peterka, fills their need for a right-shot defenseman. Winger Josh Doan, the other player acquired early Thursday morning, will likely be utilized on the third or fourth line.

Suddenly, the Sabres need a top-six forward to replace Peterka, who scored 27 goals and ... Read the full article

Offseason likely to feature trades about to kick into high gear for Sabres

In winger JJ Peterka and defenseman Bowen Byram, the Buffalo Sabres possess two budding stars under 25.

Peterka, 23, is coming off a career-high 68-point season and has recorded 28 and 27 goals, respectively, in each of the last two campaigns.

Meanwhile, in his first full season in Buffalo, Byram, 24, enjoyed a breakout year, scoring 38 points while averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time per outing.

The youngsters, both of whom are due ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Owen Power faces two-month recovery from injury

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Owen Power knows the lower-body injury he suffered in last Saturday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers could’ve been a lot worse.

Power, who’s sporting a brace on his left knee and using crutches to get around, said he will need about two months to recover.

He recently sought out a second opinion and learned he won’t need surgery.... Read the full article