Staal - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Finding his fit: Why Taylor Hall picked Sabres over other suitors

When free agency opened Friday, rookie general manager Kevyn Adams called Darren Ferris, Taylor Hall’s agent, and told him the Buffalo Sabres would be interested in talking to his client.

Few expected Hall, the most coveted winger available, would chose a team mired in a nine-year playoff drought. The 2017-18 Hart Trophy winner recently expressed how winning had become his top priority.

Still, Hall wanted to talk to the Sabres. Their coach, Ralph Krueger, knows ... Read the full article

Top Sabres pick Jack Quinn developed rapidly during 52-goal draft season

Growing up, Jack Quinn liked to think of himself as a multi-sport athlete. The high-scoring winger the Buffalo Sabres drafted eighth overall Tuesday did not simply focus on hockey. He also enjoyed playing baseball and golf.

“I didn’t really train for hockey, really, I just played it,” said Quinn, who scored 52 goals in 62 games last season for the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s.

Not surprisingly, Quinn struggled to make any progress in hockey. ... Read the full article

Sabres draft high-scoring winger Jack Quinn with No. 8 pick

The Buffalo Sabres have selected winger Jack Quinn, who scored 52 goals with the Ottawa 67’s last season, eighth overall at the NHL tonight.

The 6-foot, 167-pound Quinn is the first pick under new Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams.

Quinn, who often draws comparisons to Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak, ranked seventh among draft-eligible North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

Quinn, 19, is a bit of a late bloomer. He scored only ... Read the full article

NHL Draft, free agency will be critical tests for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams

The smile on Kevyn Adams’ face said everything. What promises to be the oddest offseason in NHL history is about to kick into high gear, and the Buffalo Sabres’ rookie general manager couldn’t hide his excitement.

During a 30-minute Zoom call Monday, Adams, 45, rarely stopped grinning. After preparing nearly four months throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to reshape the Sabres, Adams and his staff will be busy this week.

Following the NHL Draft – the ... Read the full article

Johan Larsson’s long career with Sabres could be over

Johan Larsson looked looser early last season. The Sabres center, affectionately nicknamed “Angry Larry,” even occasionally smiled, a rarity throughout his turbulent seven-year career in Buffalo.

Naturally, as the season progressed, the Sabres’ annual implosion sapped some of his happiness.

Still, Larsson, 28, enjoyed perhaps his best NHL campaign. The tenacious Swede entrenched himself between Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo early in 2019-20, helping the trio morph into one of the league’s best checking ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Eric Staal’s acquisition helps Kevyn Adams establish credibility

Barely an hour after Kevyn Adams acquired center Eric Staal last week, he hadn’t given much thought to having completed his first trade as Buffalo Sabres general manager.

“I’ve been so focused on this process and the work that goes into it,” Adams said Sept. 16 after dishing forward Marcus Johansson to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Staal.

Adams, 45, experienced a whirlwind summer as he began tackling the daunting task of trying to ... Read the full article

Eric Staal shocked by trade to Sabres, excited to play for GM Kevyn Adams

The friendship between Buffalo Sabres newcomer Eric Staal and general manager Kevyn Adams dates back 17 years, to their days as teammates on the Carolina Hurricanes.

Back then, Adams, a veteran, often invited the budding superstar to his family’s house for dinner.

“He was very good to me as a young player in Carolina,” Staal said on a Zoom call Friday “I was at his house numerous times as a young guy. We just got ... Read the full article

Trading for Eric Staal should be morale boost for Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres endured a rough summer before Wednesday’s acquisition of center Eric Staal from the Minnesota Wild. Gutting the front office three months ago lowered expectations for what has become perhaps the NHL’s most dysfunctional franchise.

So sending forward Marcus Johansson to the Wild for Staal, 35, should ignite a little optimism within the team and its beleaguered fan base.

In his first trade as general manager, Kevyn Adams addressed a major hole – ... Read the full article

Sabres trade Marcus Johansson to Wild for Eric Staal

Kevyn Adams made his first trade as Buffalo Sabres general manager today, sending forward Marcus Johansson to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for center Eric Staal.

Staal will likely be utilized as the No. 2 center, a position the Sabres have struggled to fill since dealing Ryan O’Reilly to the St. Louis Blues in 2018.

Johansson, a winger most of his NHL career, centered the second line much of the 2019-20 season, his first in ... Read the full article