Rochester Americans - Buffalo Hockey Beat

After long, trying recovery from broken kneecap, Sabres’ Justin Danforth happy to be playing again

BUFFALO – Sabres forward Justin Danforth listened to the question and let out a deep sigh.

“Oh God,” he responded when asked about the most difficult part of the long rehab he endured after breaking his kneecap when he blocked a shot early last season. “It was a tough rehab.”

Danforth, 33, experienced an arduous and frustrating recovery after getting injured just four games into his first season with the Sabres.... Read the full article

Sabres preseason: Lindy Ruff will miss opener in Pittsburgh; Buffalo to field young lineup against Penguins

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Lindy Ruff will miss tonight’s preseason opener in Pittsburgh to attend a Celebration of Life ceremony for his former teammate, Brent Peterson, in Nashville.

Sabres assistant coach Seth Appert will run the bench against the Penguins in Ruff’s absence.

Peterson, who played four seasons with the Sabres in the 1980s, died Sept. 11 after a long battle with Parkinson’s. He was 68.... Read the full article

Sabres assign four prospects to junior; Rochester adds forward and goalie

The Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday assigned four prospects – defenseman David Bedkowski, goalie Samuel Meloche and forwards Dylan Dumont and Doman Szongoth – to their respective junior teams.

All four participated in the Prospects Showcase games the Sabres played against the Boston Bruins on Sunday and Monday at LECOM Harborcenter.

In other news, the Rochester Americans on Tuesday agreed to terms with forward Thomas Bordeleau and goalie Talyn Boyko one-year AHL contracts.... Read the full article

Sabres sign Noah Ostlund to eight-year, $52.8 million contract

BUFFALO – Just 71 total NHL games were enough to convince the Sabres that center Noah Ostlund deserved a lucrative long-term contract.

The Sabres on Monday signed the Swede to an eight-year, $52.8 million contract. That’s a $6.6 million average annual value for the 22-year-old, the 16th overall pick in 2022.

“Awesome day for the organization,” Rochester Americans coach Mike Leone, who coached Ostlund in the AHL, said Monday following the Sabres’ 4-3 overtime loss ... Read the full article

QMJHL star Samuel Meloche becoming Sabres’ best goalie prospect

BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Samuel Meloche’s experience belies his age. Less than two months after turning 19, just two years into his major junior career, the goalie has played 101 regular-season games and 30 more in the playoffs.

Since the start of the 2024-25 season, he has played more than any netminder in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

Remember Meloche’s name. The constant action he earned backstopping the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies to back-to-back conference semifinal ... Read the full article

Radim Mrtka headlines Buffalo Sabres’ Prospects Showcase roster

Defenseman Radim Mrtka, the ninth overall pick in 2025, headlines the Buffalo Sabres’ 22-man roster for the upcoming Prospects Showcase against the Boston Bruins at LECOM Harborcenter.

The Sabres, who will hold their first practice this afternoon, host the Bruins at 5 p.m. Sunday and noon Monday.

The roster released Thursday features 11 draft picks, nine invites and three players on AHL contracts. The Sabres drafted Matteo Costantini but signed him to an AHL ... Read the full article

After impressive rookie season, Sabres sign Zach Metsa to contract extension

The Buffalo Sabres on Friday signed defenseman Zach Metsa, one of their biggest surprises last season, to a one-year, one-way contract extension worth $900,000.

Metsa, 27, is entering the final season of a two-year, two-way deal worth $1.63 million he signed in 2025. He can become an unrestricted free agent when his extension expires following the 2027-28 season.

After signing his first NHL contract last year, the 5-foot-9, 198-pound Metsa earned his first recall... Read the full article

Former Sabres prospects have found new jobs all over this summer

For a while, former Buffalo Sabres defense prospect Nikita Novikov looked like a steal as he quickly adapted to North American hockey.

Not only did the Russian generate offense without the benefit of power-play time, he led the Rochester Americans in plus-minus – gaudy ratings of 20 and 28, respectively – in each of his first two seasons.

Novikov, a sixth-round pick in 2021, 188th overall, appeared to be on track to at least earn ... Read the full article

Rochester hires Philip Samuelsson as assistant coach

The Rochester Americans on Thursday named Philip Samuelsson, who recently retired following a 15-year pro career as a defenseman, as an assistant coach.

He replaces Nathan Paetsch, who earlier this month left the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate to become head coach of the Youngstown Phantoms.

Samuelsson, 35, played nearly 900 games as a pro, including 13 in the NHL and 512 in the AHL.... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Radim Mrtka handled trade rumors well, kept developing

BUFFALO – When word leaked in early March the Sabres would deal defense prospect Radim Mrtka to the St. Louis Blues if veteran defenseman Colton Parayko waived his no-trade clause, Seattle Thunderbirds coach Matt O’Dette said he and his assistants checked in on the youngster.

Their message to Mrtka, 19, was simple: control what you can control.

“He handled it really well,” O’Dette told the Times Herald. “He’s pretty, in a lot of ways, ... Read the full article