Kyle Okposo has scored 21 goals this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Kyle Okposo injured in practice

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Kyle Okposo left Monday’s practice early and was being evaluated after injuring his left leg during a drill.

The veteran appeared to step on the puck during a rush and fell to the ice. Coach Don Granato said the Sabres would know more later Monday.

Okposo, 34, was injured hours after the Buffalo chapter of The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association named him the Sabres’ 2021-22 nominee for the Masterton Trophy.

... Read the full article

Injuries have cost Casey Mittelstadt 42 games this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt confident as season ends: ‘Getting to another level’

BUFFALO – Casey Mittelstadt likes to extract positives from difficult experiences. So the Sabres forward believes a trying, injury-riddled season in which he has missed 42 games and scored just four goals has also featured personal growth.

Recovering from two upper-body injuries has helped him develop patience – “That’s probably one of the things I struggled with most, I’m pretty impatient,” he said – and evolve as a person.

Mittelstadt, 23, had to do something ... Read the full article

Owen Power has played four NHL games. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres rookie Owen Power nearing end of dynamic, grueling season

BUFFALO – In a few weeks, after his dizzying year ends, Sabres rookie Owen Power might finally have a chance to sit back and enjoy a little time to himself.

Power, 19, had endured a grueling season prior to signing his entry-level NHL contract, leaving college to represent Team Canada at the Olympics more than 6,500 miles away in Beijing and at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton.

Even in the NHL, Power still has ... Read the full article

Kyle Okposo hadn’t scored 20 goals since 2015-16. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Kyle Okposo scores 20th goal, sparks Sabres to comeback win on birthday

BUFFALO – Sabres center Tage Thompson had time and space, so he leaned into his shot, and when the puck hit teammate Kyle Okposo inside his right knee, he went down in a hurry.

As Okposo hobbled off the ice in pain late in Saturday’s first period, it felt like his night might’ve been finished. At that point, the Sabres trailed the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0, and Okposo, who turned 34 on Saturday, said he was ... Read the full article

Mattias Samuelsson missed Thursday’s game. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres to change lines against Flyers; Mattias Samuelsson questionable

BUFFALO – In Friday’s practice, Sabres coach Don Granato changed every forward line, tinkering with trios that have recently developed chemistry and enjoyed success.

Granato often explains how he wants his lineup to become interchangeable. While he showcases more patience than most coaches – lines and defense pairs sometimes stay intact for weeks – he’s not afraid to experiment within games or try new things.

So for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank ... Read the full article

Don Granato frequently receives text messages from Bills coach Sean McDermott. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Don Granato grateful for visit from Bills coach Sean McDermott

BUFFALO – When Bills coach Sean McDermott arrived at the rink prior to Thursday’s game, coach Don Granato asked him if he would talk to the Sabres before they went on the ice.

Granato said at first, McDermott wasn’t sure if he wanted to address them.

“But after he went around and met the guys and saw what we do for a couple hours, he’s a natural, obviously,” Granato said following Friday’s practice at KeyBank ... Read the full article

Tage Thompson has enjoyed a breakout season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Tage Thompson faces Blues as one of NHL’s rising stars

BUFFALO – Sabres center Tage Thompson acknowledged that, yes, the Stanley Cup that Ryan O’Reilly won in 2019, his first season in St. Louis, is always in the back of his mind.

“But at the same time, it doesn’t change my objective,” Thompson said prior to Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the Blues, his former team, at KeyBank Center. “My objective is to come here and help our team win and help any way I can ... Read the full article

Mattias Samuelsson blocked a shot in Tuesday’s win. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Mattias Samuelsson injured, questionable for tonight’s game

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, who briefly left Tuesday’s 5-2 win after blocking a shot, is questionable for tonight’s game against the St. Louis Blues with a lower-body injury, coach Don Granato said.

“Mattias is hour to hour, day to day,” Granato said this morning inside KeyBank Center. “He could potentially still (play). We can’t rule him out for tonight, but it’s day to day if he’s not in there tonight.”

Update: Samuelsson ... Read the full article

Buffalo defensemen Henri Jokiharju (10) and Owen Power (25) battles for position Tuesday in Toronto against Auston Matthews (34) and Michael Bunting (58). ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Owen Power, Sabres’ young defense turning heads: ‘Bright future’

BUFFALO – Winger Alex Tuch figures the Sabres set some sort of record in Tuesday’s 5-2 road win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“It’s got to be the youngest D corps to ever step on the ice tonight, I feel like,” Tuch said after defenseman Owen Power, 19, made his NHL debut in Scotiabank Arena. “The oldest guy’s Casey Fitzgerald at 25.”

Incredibly, the average age of the Sabres’ defense in Tuesday’s contest ... Read the full article

Henri Jokiharju has a plum assignment beside Owen Power. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres notes: Why was Henri Jokiharju picked as Owen Power’s partner?

TORONTO – Prior to Owen Power’s arrival, Buffalo Sabres defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Henri Jokiharju both let it be known they’d love to play with the rookie, the first overall pick in 2021.

The problem? Well, Dahlin and Jokiharju were partners at the time.

“Owen’s not here and they’re already talking about, ‘When Owen gets here, I want to play with him! And I want to play with him!’” Sabres coach Don Granato said ... Read the full article