Ruff - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres make depth signings, trade after free agency opens; Jarmo Kekalainen open to making more moves

BUFFALO – After free agency opened Wednesday, the Sabres stayed pretty quiet, signing four depth players likely ticketed for the minors and trading goalie Devon Levi.

While more notable moves could materialize – “We’re still open for business,” general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in LECOM Harborcenter – the roster might be pretty much set.

“By no means we’re desperate to add anything right now,” Kekalainen said. “It needs to be a perfect fit both from ... Read the full article

Surfeit of goalies means Sabres could trade Devon Levi this summer

BUFFALO – On Jan. 20, 2025, following two months in the minors, goalie Devon Levi made a rare start for the Sabres, stopping 28 shots in a 6-4 road loss to the Kraken.

A day later, they sent Levi back to the AHL, where he spent the next season and a half with the Rochester Americans.

No one knew it that day in Seattle, but Levi, once a prospect so highly regarded that many viewed ... Read the full article

Following injury-plagued year, Sabres trade Michael Kesselring to Sharks

Almost a year ago, the Buffalo Sabres made their biggest move of the offseason, acquiring right-shot defenseman Michael Kesselring as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade with the Utah Mammoth.

Today, after playing just 34 games last season, Kesselring, 26, is a member of the San Jose Sharks.

The Sabres on Wednesday made their first move this offseason, trading Kesselring and the 27th overall pick in the NHL Draft on June 26 in Buffalo to ... Read the full article

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was the NHL’s best this season, and he was robbed of the Jack Adams Award

Let’s get this out of the way: Jon Cooper is one hell of a coach, an all-time great. Having won the Stanley Cup twice and taken the Tampa Bay Lightning to the final on two other occasions, he will deservedly be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame someday.

Despite the absence of stud defenseman Victor Hedman for most of this season, he led the Lightning to 50 wins and 106 points.

Still, Cooper had ... Read the full article

For J.P. Dumont, Jay McKee and other members of 2005-06 Sabres, sting of Game 7 loss to Hurricanes remains

To a man, every member of the team walked out of HSBC Arena that night 20 years ago believing the Buffalo Sabres would win Game 7 and earn a trip to the Stanley Cup final.

Why wouldn’t players be confident? A tight-knit group that started the season with little or no expectations had come this far, taking the post-lockout NHL by storm.

When the Sabres began losing defensemen at a startling rate – three were ... Read the full article

Jon Cooper beats out Sabres’ Lindy Ruff and Dan Muse for Jack Adams Award

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Jon Cooper on Wednesday won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year, beating out the Buffalo Sabres’ Lindy Ruff and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Dan Muse.

Cooper, the NHL’s longest-tenured coach, had never won the award. He has led the Lightning to two Stanley Cup championships and two other appearances in the final.

With some of his top players absent throughout this season, Cooper, 58, led the Lightning ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin finishes third in Norris Trophy voting

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin placed third in the Norris Trophy voting, the NHL announced Tuesday, tying him for the highest finish in franchise history with Jim Schoenfeld in 1979-80.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski won the award for the first time, earning 1,589 points and 113 first-place votes. Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar finished second, registering 1,191 points and 47 first-place votes.

Dahlin received 657 points and 13 first-place votes.

... Read the full article

Following injury-plagued year, Sabres express belief in Michael Kesselring: ‘We’ve seen the potential’

“Honestly, I think it’s been pretty good for me, and whenever the next opportunity comes, I’ll be probably the most ready I’ve been all year.” – Michael Kesselring on March 25 prior to sitting out his sixth straight game as a healthy scratch

BUFFALO – As he morphed into a spare part down the stretch, Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring tried to make the most of a difficult situation.

If the arrival of defensemen Logan ... Read the full article

After keeping Colten Ellis, Sabres open to using three goalies again: ‘It worked’

BUFFALO – It felt like goalie Colten Ellis’ stay here would be brief. Perhaps after filling the backup role for a couple of weeks as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen recovered from an injury, the Sabres would place the rookie back on waivers or trade him.

But Ellis looked sharp in his first NHL action and fit in well, giving the Sabres extra depth at a critical position and the ability to try different things.

Shortly after Luukkonen ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jarmo Kekalainen, Lindy Ruff established strong relationship before new contract

BUFFALO – Jarmo Kekalainen established a strong relationship with coach Lindy Ruff long before the Sabres promoted him to general manager.

Following his arrival one year ago as a senior advisor to former GM Kevyn Adams, Kekalainen spent every day with the Sabres, even participating in coaches meetings.

In their early days together, two hockey lifers developed mutual respect for each other.... Read the full article