San Jose Sharks - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Trading first pick could only be start of Sabres’ aggressive dealing at NHL Draft

LAS VEGAS – In trading the 11th overall pick in tonight’s NHL Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the 14th and 42nd selections, general manager Kevyn Adams acquired more assets that could help him aggressively reshape the Sabres in the coming days.

After Thursday’s deal, the Sabres have nine picks this weekend at The Sphere, including two second-round selections (42nd and 43rd). They’ve also assembled a stable of strong prospects over the ... Read the full article

NHL Draft: Sabres trade 11th selection to Sharks in exchange for two assets

LAS VEGAS – The Buffalo Sabres today traded the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the 14th and 42nd selections.

General manager Kevyn Adams said last week he was willing to deal the Sabres’ first pick.

The Sabres now have nine picks in this weekend’s draft, including the 42nd and 43rd picks in the second round.... Read the full article

Casey Mittelstadt’s status made trading for coveted Bowen Byram possible

BUFFALO – Kevyn Adams said he never shopped Casey Mittelstadt around the NHL. No, the Sabres general manager said, the center’s emergence made him a sought-after asset.

When other GMs called him to ask about Mittelstadt, his leading scorer, he made it clear he was willing to listen and think about possible scenarios.

Adams said he had been working for a couple of years to find a young, top-pair defenseman. Those type of defenders, of ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jack Quinn leaves win against Sharks after injuring left leg

Buffalo Sabres winger Jack Quinn, who spent six months rehabbing from a torn left Achilles tendon and missed the first 32 games this season, departed Saturday’s 5-2 road win over the San Jose Sharks after his left leg bent awkwardly when Tomas Hertl hit him into the boards.

Quinn, 22, was trying to spin away from Hertl between the left circle and blue line when he took the hit. He stayed on the SAP Center ... Read the full article

Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stars in shutout, emerging as Sabres’ starter

BUFFALO – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s run as the Sabres’ starting goalie this season lasted about a week.

Shortly after he grabbed the No. 1 job, he got sick and missed about 10 days. When he returned, rookie Devon Levi had re-established himself following a brief trip to the minors, and the netminders mostly alternated starts about the next month.

But since Dec. 30, Luukkonen, who posted a 28-save shutout in Monday afternoon’s 3-0 win over the ... Read the full article

JJ Peterka establishing himself as one of Sabres’ top scorers in second year

BUFFALO – When winger JJ Peterka’s rookie season ended nine months ago, the Sabres challenged the youngster, telling him “you got to be better.”

He contributed 12 goals and 32 points in 2022-23, strong signs he belonged in the NHL. Still, as his minus-15 rating and long offensive droughts illustrated, he was a raw work in progress.

Peterka was pretty good, but hardly good enough.

... Read the full article

Sabres beat Sharks, get more scoring from ‘Kid Line’: ‘A lot of chemistry’

BUFFALO – If the struggling Sabres couldn’t fix some of their recent problems and earn a much-needed win against the lowly San Jose Sharks, well, you had to wonder when they’d ever get on track.

The Sharks limped into town Sunday to close a four-game road trip having lost four of their last five contests, including a defeat a night earlier in Ottawa.

They were ripe to be beaten and the Sabres, as their 6-3 ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin wowed by Erik Karlsson’s start: ‘Amazing to watch’

BUFFALO – The comparisons are inevitable given that both defensemen hail from Sweden and have a penchant for making jaw-dropping plays.

Sometimes when Rasmus Dahlin makes a slick move or scores a highlight-reel goal, he will inevitably hear Erik Karlsson did something similar years ago.

“I try to do my own thing, but it’s always a very cool thing to hear,” the Sabres defenseman said of being compared to Karlsson, who’s enjoying a dynamic comeback ... Read the full article

Sabres’ JJ Peterka evolving, becoming one of NHL’s best rookies

BUFFALO – JJ Peterka spotted imminent danger coming the Sabres’ way, so as the puck slid around the boards as they enjoyed a power play, he began hightailing it back toward his zone.

“I got on my horse,” the rookie winger said following Saturday’s practice.

Peterka’s instincts and speed allowed him to close in on Logan O’Connor at center ice, and he thwarted the Colorado Avalanche winger’s scoring attempt with the Sabres trailing by one ... Read the full article

Flashback: Sharks GM Mike Grier played 1,000th NHL game with Sabres

Popular former Sabres winger Mike Grier made history today, becoming the first Black general manager in NHL history when the San Jose Sharks hired him to replace Doug Wilson, who resigned in April.

Grier, 47, spent three full seasons and the end of another with the Sabres, becoming one of their most respected veterans. The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs 2010-11, his last season.

The American played three seasons with the Sharks in between his ... Read the full article