Rochester Americans - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres prospect Oskari Laaksonen named AHL North Division All-Star

Buffalo Sabres defense prospect Oskari Laaksonen has earned a spot on the AHL North Division All-Star Team following his rookie season with the Rochester Americans, the league announced Wednesday.

Laaksonen, 21, compiled two goals and 17 points in 28 games. His 15 assists led the Amerks. The Finn ranked fourth among AHL rookie defensemen in points.

The Sabres drafted Laaksonen in the third round in 2017, 89th overall. He played parts of four seasons in ... Read the full article

Confident Rasmus Asplund feels ready for regular duty with Sabres

Sabres winger Rasmus Asplund targeted 2021 from the get-go. By his third season in North America, the Swede wanted to be ready to stick in Buffalo.

Sure enough, Asplund, 23, accomplished his goal, playing the final 21 games of the year under interim Sabres coach Don Granato.

Considering Asplund was a spare part until April, his emergence ranks as one of the season’s biggest surprises.

Yes, Asplund, one of Buffalo’s top-rated prospects, was expected ... Read the full article

Jason Karmanos impressed with Sabres prospects J-J Peterka, Jack Quinn

During Jason Karmanos’ tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Buffalo Sabres’ new associate general manager said he was “intimately involved” in the NHL Draft.

So Karmanos arrived in Buffalo last month with strong knowledge of the Sabres’ prospect base.

“I’m excited they’re here, because these are guys that I liked on my own and that our previous staff liked,” Karmanos said on a Zoom call Monday.

Karmanos, who was fired as Pittsburgh’s assistant GM on ... Read the full article

After wild run, Michael Houser’s time in Sabres organization could be over

ROCHESTER – Coach Seth Appert felt his goalie, Michael Houser, deserved to take over the Americans’ net in the final days of the season.

For years, Houser, who played four late-season games for the Buffalo Sabres, toiled in the ECHL. While he just completed his third season in the organization, he hadn’t played a game for the Amerks until a week ago.

Before earning his first NHL action earlier this month, Houser, 28, spent ... Read the full article

Ex-Sabres star Derek Roy retires from hockey after 18 seasons

Center Derek Roy, the Buffalo Sabres’ leading scorer three consecutive years early in his career, has retired from hockey after 18 seasons, he announced today on Instagram.

Roy, 38, spent the 2020-21 campaign playing with Red Bull Munich, a Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

After the Sabres drafted the diminutive Roy in the second round in 2001, 32nd overall, he quickly morphed into one of their top prospects. He spent just over two years with the ... Read the full article

If Sabres pass on Don Granato, hiring an ex-NHL head coach could be wise move

Right now, Don Granato must wait as Kevyn Adams conducts what could be an exhaustive search for the Buffalo Sabres’ next head coach.

The general manager reiterated last week he plans to talk to a lot of people, so it might take several weeks before he makes the most critical decision of his short tenure.

If Adams gets it wrong, it will likely set the franchise back years.

Granato’s work transforming the Sabres as interim ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Mattias Samuelsson close to cracking NHL for good

When Mattias Samuelsson returned to Rochester last week following a three-week stint with the Buffalo Sabres, the Americans’ coaching staff challenged the rookie defenseman.

The coaches wanted Samuelsson, fresh off first NHL recall, to use the remaining games on the Amerks’ truncated schedule as a springboard back to Buffalo next season.

“OK, you did a good job in those 12 games, you got a taste,” Amerks coach Seth Appert said the coaches told Samuelsson. “Now ... Read the full article

Sabres will have more representation at World Championship

Buffalo Sabres winger Arttu Ruotsalainen and J-J Peterka, one of the organization’s top forward prospects, will participate in World Championship later this month in Riga, Latvia.

Ruotsalainen, 23, will represent Team Finland after compiling five goals and six points in his first 17 NHL games this season. He started his first North American campaign with the Rochester Americans, scoring five goals and 13 points in 13 outings.

Before NHL and AHL seasons started, Ruotsalainen ... Read the full article

Sabres’ support helped goalie Linus Ullmark get through emotional season

Linus Ullmark needed to talk. For the goalie, sharing his feelings was therapeutic. So coaches, teammates and anyone in the Buffalo Sabres’ bubble became his support system during an emotional season.

Ullmark’s wife, Moa, and their two children, stayed home in Sweden this year. When his father, Jan-Olof, passed away in January, he had to mourn his loss without the comfort of his family.

But at the rink, Ullmark found an outlet for his grief.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Kevyn Adams praises Don Granato, will talk to other candidates

Despite having interim status, Don Granato took a broad approach as Buffalo Sabres coach, opting for building and development over simply trying to win some games.

“I hate being a desperate team,” Granato said on an end-of-season Zoom call Wednesday. “Everybody can look and say, ‘My God, you’re in a desperate situation.’ Well, that’s fine if that’s your perception. But we’re not going to be a desperate team. We’re going to get better every day, ... Read the full article