Rochester Americans - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Joining Sabres, Ralph Krueger ‘no-brainer’ for Tobias Rieder

Two years ago, new Buffalo Sabres winger Tobias Rieder pulled a Ville Leino, scoring zero goals in 67 games over a full season with the Edmonton Oilers.

Not surprisingly, teams showed little interest in Rieder following his miserable season. The German ended up settling for a tryout with the Calgary Flames, and he impressed them enough during training camp he earned a one-year contract.

So Rieder, 27, felt a sense of satisfaction when he ... Read the full article

Sabres add forward depth, sign Steven Fogarty to one-year contract

The Sabres added more forward depth today, signing Steve Fogarty to a one-year, $700,000 contract.

Fogarty, 27, spent most of the past four seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack, compiling 50 goals and 130 points in 252 AHL games. He played 18 regular-season games for the New York Rangers during that stretch, including seven last season. He also made his first playoff appearance in 2019-20.

The 6-foot-3, 208-pound Fogarty could be ticketed for the Rochester ... Read the full article

Sabres’ signings show Ralph Krueger’s growing influence under Kevyn Adams

When the Buffalo Sabres fired general manager Jason Botterill and gutted their hockey department four months ago, they also also elevated Ralph Krueger.

Technically, Krueger, 61, still holds the same title: head coach. But his influence has clearly grown under rookie GM Kevyn Adams, a front office neophyte.

Three of the five free agents the Sabres have signed this offseason – most notably, Taylor Hall, the 2017-18 Hart Trophy winner – have connections ... Read the full article

Sabres sign three depth players during odd day of free agency

The COVID-19 pandemic promised to make this offseason unusual.

NHL teams have generated little or no revenue over the past seven months. The league has frozen the salary cap at $81.5 million for 2020-21, a season it would like to start in January. That, of course, could be difficult.

The uncertainty surrounding the season created an odd opening day of free agency Friday. Many teams are operating on internal budgets far below the cap.

Instead ... Read the full article

Sabres NHL Draft tracker: J-J Peterka selected 34th after trade

The Buffalo Sabres made a trade early on the second day of the NHL Draft, sending the 38th and 100th picks to the San Jose Sharks so they could move up and grab German forward J-J Peterka 34th overall.

The Sabres don’t have another pick today until the fifth round, 131st overall.

The 5-foot-11, 192-pound Peterka spent last season playing against men for Red Bull Munich in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), scoring seven goals ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Tage Thompson to three-year contract

The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed winger Tage Thompson to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $1.4 million, the team announced Monday.

Thompson, 22, was a restricted free agent.

The American suffered a season-ending right shoulder injury in his 2019-20 Sabres debut Nov. 17. Before earning that recall, he compiled six goals and 12 points in 16 games with the Rochester Americans.... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Andrew Oglevie to two-year contract

The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed winger Andrew Oglevie to a two-year, $1.5 million contract, the team announced today.

The Notre Dame product was a restricted free agent. He has spent the last two seasons with the Rochester Americans.

Oglevie scored 15 times in 55 games last season, tying him with Jean-Sebastien Dea for the Amerks’ goal-scoring lead. Oglevie’s 29 points ranked fourth on the team.

A string of concussions limited stymied Oglevie as ... Read the full article

Sabres reward Curtis Lazar’s breakout season with two-year contract

Shortly before the Buffalo Sabres assigned Curtis Lazar to the minors last year, the center confidently stated he knew he belonged in the big leagues.

Joining the Sabres as a free agent had refreshed Lazar, and he believed he could make an impact. But several days later, Lazar, who had played only one NHL game the previous season, would clear waivers and be assigned to the Rochester Americans to start the campaign.

Lazar, however, only ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Eric Staal’s acquisition helps Kevyn Adams establish credibility

Barely an hour after Kevyn Adams acquired center Eric Staal last week, he hadn’t given much thought to having completed his first trade as Buffalo Sabres general manager.

“I’ve been so focused on this process and the work that goes into it,” Adams said Sept. 16 after dishing forward Marcus Johansson to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Staal.

Adams, 45, experienced a whirlwind summer as he began tackling the daunting task of trying to ... Read the full article

Ex-Sabres Adam Mair, Mike Weber ready for new challenge with Amerks

When the Buffalo Sabres named ex-Americans coach Chris Taylor an interim NHL assistant a year ago, Adam Mair moved from his role as a development coach to Rochester’s bench.

Mair, 41, said he had always aspired to become a bench coach, and the seven weeks he spent assisting interim coach Gord Dineen “confirmed the passion that I sought out to achieve right when I stopped playing.”

“Being on the bench was the best way for ... Read the full article