WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
JJ Peterka skates during Monday’s practice. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The Sabres on Monday finalized their 23-man regular-season roster, sending goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the minors and placing forward Riley Sheahan on injured reserve with a muscle injury.
That means wingers JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn, both of whom enjoyed dynamic rookie seasons with the Rochester Americans last year, have made the big club.
While Peterka did not stand out during training camp, the Sabres are confident he ... Read the full article
JJ Peterka could start the season in Buffalo. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After reassigning 23 players over the weekend, the Sabres nearly have their regular-season roster set.
On Monday, 28 players – 15 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goalies – practiced inside KeyBank Center. The Sabres held one session for the first time in training camp.
They must finalize their 23-man roster by 5 p.m. next Monday.
The Sabres, who have two preseason games left, starting with tonight’s home contest against the Carolina Hurricanes, have ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has looked sharp this preseason. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s terrific 32-save outing in Saturday afternoon’s 3-1 preseason win likely won’t sway the Sabres. They decided months ago that the Finn, a prospect labeled as their goalie of the future, should start the season in the minors.
So as they trim their training camp roster in the coming days, they’ll almost certainly assign the him to Rochester, where he will carry the load for the Americans.
Buffalo’s net, at least early ... Read the full article
Matt Savoie played three preseason games for Buffalo. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Saturday assigned center Matt Savoie to his junior team and loaned 21 players to the Rochester Americans, their AHL affiliate.
They have 31 healthy players left in training camp. They must finalize their 23-man regular-season roster by 5 p.m. on Oct. 10.
The Sabres gave Savoie, the ninth overall pick this year, a long look during camp, awarding him three preseason games before sending to the Winnipeg Ice. Savoie, 18, was ... Read the full article
Craig Anderson began his NHL career in 2002-03. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Craig Anderson left town five months ago knowing he could return to the Sabres and play his 20th NHL season if he desired.
In his first year here, besides often giving the Sabres terrific goaltending, the veteran’s professionalism and work ethic set a high standard for the rebuilding team. He quickly became a leader and a mentor during what he has called an “amazing” year.
Even though he was about to turn 41, ... Read the full article
Brandon Biro (center) celebrates one of his goals Tuesday with Henri Jokiharju and Alex Tuch. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In the first week of training camp, the Sabres have often been placing forward prospects with established talent, offering Brandon Biro, Lukas Rousek, Linus Weissbach and others special development opportunities.
The reasoning is simple: coach Don Granato believes his veterans will send consistent messages about what the Sabres want collectively as a team.
In Tuesday’s 2-1 preseason victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank Center, some of those prospects ranked among the best ... Read the full article
Matt Savoie also played in Sunday afternoon’s preseason opener. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Matt Savoie has integrated so quickly that coach Don Granato feels comfortable playing the rookie between veterans.
So tonight, less than a week into his first NHL training camp, Savoie, 18, will center Casey Mittelstadt and Kyle Okposo against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Savoie, the ninth overall pick this year, also played in Sunday afternoon’s preseason opener, a 4-3 overtime road win against the Washington Capitals.... Read the full article
Dylan Cozens scores on goalie Malcolm Subban in Saturday’s scrimmage. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Before Sabres center Dylan Cozens left following last season to represent Team Canada at the World Championship, general manager Kevyn Adams asked him what he wanted to accomplish.
Adams told Cozens, 21, that he shouldn’t travel to Finland to simply play more hockey – he wanted him to set a goal for the tournament.
Cozens, having slumped at the end of his second NHL season, tallying just once in his final 29 games, ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo scored 21 goals last season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Having lived here year-round since 2019, veteran Sabres winger Kyle Okposo possesses a unique understanding of the community’s devotion to its sports teams.
“I understand the dynamics of how the town operates and how much sports means to everybody in this town,” Okposo said Saturday during “Sabres Night” at Sahlen Field, where he and teammates Owen Power, Jeff Skinner and Malcolm Subban signed autographs for an hour prior to the Bisons game. ... Read the full article
Eric Comrie has played just 28 NHL games. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – As free agency approached and the Sabres ramped up their search for a goalie, they did their due diligence on Eric Comrie, a seldom-used but intriguing talent.
Comrie, 27, became a Group 6 unrestricted free agent because he fell 90 minutes short of the minutes threshold. So if he had played another two games, the Winnipeg Jets could’ve retained his rights.
General manager Kevyn Adams said the scouting and analytics staffs and goalie ... Read the full article
