Ruff - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Injury won’t sideline Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin long

BUFFALO – As the Sabres practiced this morning, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin watched from the tunnel in a blue sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his baseball hat alongside some of the team’s medical staff.

Still, the Sabres can breath a sigh of relief. Coach Lindy Ruff said the “mid-body injury” Dahlin suffered in Wednesday’s opening session of training camp likely won’t sideline him long.

“Doing well,” Ruff said following practice in KeyBank Center. “Just probably ... Read the full article

Lindy Ruff begins challenging Sabres to raise standards: ‘Everyone brought it’

BUFFALO – Right away, coach Lindy Ruff stopped the drill. The Sabres had gone offside, and even in the first session of training camp, that’s a no-no.

So Ruff told his players to get it right and gathered them for a quick chat. Later in Wednesday’s practice, he called for more puck support and halted another drill.

General manager Kevyn Adams and players have been preaching accountability, and on the first day of his second ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Rasmus Dahlin injured; Matt Savoie trade filled big need

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin’s first practice under new coach Lindy Ruff lasted just a few minutes.

Dahlin, 24, departed Wednesday’s opening session of training camp early after suffering what Ruff called a “mid-range” injury.

Ruff had no update on Dahlin, who will be examined.

“It’s just one of those things he was passing the puck and something happened,” Ruff said in KeyBank Center. “So (as a) precaution, (we) got him off.”... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin injured in first practice of training camp

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin departed the first session of training camp early after suffering what coach Lindy Ruff called a “mid-range” injury.

Ruff had no update on Dahlin, who will be examined. He departed the KeyBank Center ice less than 10 minutes into this morning’s practice.

“It’s just one of those things he was passing the puck and something happened,” Ruff said. “So (as a) precaution, (we) got him off.”... Read the full article

After signing contract, Sabres’ Peyton Krebs might have to battle for spot

BUFFALO – When the Sabres overhauled their third and fourth lines during the offseason by trading for Ryan McLeod and Beck Malenstyn and signing two free agents, center Peyton Krebs’ future here became uncertain.

Krebs, the Sabres’ last restricted free agent, is officially back for his fourth season, having signed a two-year, $2.9 million contract on Tuesday. But as training camp opens today with the first on-ice sessions in KeyBank Center, it’s unclear where he ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Jiri Kulich focused on becoming grittier, stronger presence

BUFFALO – Over his first two seasons, Sabres prospect Jiri Kulich morphed from a one-dimensional scorer who relied on his blistering shot into a more mature center.

Through some tough love, former Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert helped Kulich, 20, realize he needed to evolve and develop a more versatile style.

So when the Czech endured a two-month scoring slump last season, he used the time to hone his “B game” and contribute in other ... Read the full article

Time spent with Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau special for Sabres’ Alex Tuch

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Alex Tuch sounded nostalgic recalling those visits Johnny Gaudreau made to the Boston College campus about a decade ago. When the budding NHL star dropped by late in the summer to see his brother, Matthew, a forward with the Eagles, he always treated the rest of the hockey team.

“I knew Johnny because he came back and he would visit Matty in school before the season started every year,” Tuch said ... Read the full article

After signings and trades, where does Peyton Krebs fit with Sabres?

BUFFALO – During their exit meeting in April, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams noticed a bit of a shift in center Peyton Krebs’ mentality.

When Adams asked him about his season, Krebs, 23, told him he believes he can be a 200-foot, two-way center in the NHL.

“When he first got here, there was so much emphasis on offense and he’d always been an offensive player,” Adams said June 20 in KeyBank Center.

Krebs, ... Read the full article

Nomadic Nicolas Aube-Kubel excited to give Sabres’ fourth line grit, speed

As free agency approached and winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel began looking for his fifth NHL team in the last three and a half years, he told his agent he wanted to join a younger group.

Having started last season in the AHL – he played 11 games for the Hershey Bears before earning regular duty with the Washington Capitals – Aube-Kubel knew he likely wouldn’t receive a multi-year deal.

But the idea of growing with a ... Read the full article

Sabres newcomer Sam Lafferty enjoyed career season after trade

BUFFALO – Sabres center Sam Lafferty’s first three NHL teams utilized him in a checking role, deploying him for faceoffs in enemy territory for a whopping 73.7 percent of his zone starts.

Then last year, after the Vancouver Canucks acquired Lafferty, 29, from the Toronto Maple Leafs days before the season, they gave him a dual role.

For the first time in his five-year career, he had more offensive zone starts than defensive starts (51.3 ... Read the full article