Ullmark - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Linus Ullmark returns to practice; Sabres have more injuries

Having been sidelined the last 13 games, Linus Ullmark must keep testing his lower-body injury in practice. So as badly as the Buffalo Sabres need their No. 1 goalie back, he needs more than one session before he can play again.

“For now, there’s no set timetable for me; it’s more of a day-to-day basis,” Ullmark said on a Zoom call Tuesday after practicing for the first time since getting injured Feb. 23.

So on ... Read the full article

Goalie Dustin Tokarski shines in relief of injured Carter Hutton, Sabres still lose

After playing his first NHL game in more than four years, Buffalo Sabres goalie Dustin Tokarski allowed himself a moment to reflect on his journey back to the big leagues.

Tokarski, who played five playoff games for the Montreal Canadiens in 2014, hadn’t experienced any NHL action since Oct. 26, 2016.

Over the past few seasons, Tokarski, 31, quietly rebuilt his career, morphing into one of the AHL’s premier netminders.

So Tokarski’s strong 33-save effort ... Read the full article

Goalie Linus Ullmark to join Sabres on road trip, start practicing

BUFFALO – The Sabres plan for injured goalie Linus Ullmark to join them on their four-game road trip later this week, interim coach Don Granato said.

The Sabres have imploded without Ullmark, their No. 1 goalie. Their 13-game losing streak began Feb. 25, the game he suffered a lower-body injury.

“We need to integrate him into practice,” interim Sabres coach Don Granato said on a Zoom call this afternoon. “At some point, that’s the next ... Read the full article

Sabres trade goalie Jonas Johansson to Avalanche

The Buffalo Sabres this afternoon traded goalie Jonas Johansson to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2021.

The Sabres held Johansson, 25, out of Friday’s practice as they attempted to deal him.

With Johansson gone, Carter Hutton and Dustin Tokarski are the Sabres’ top two goalies. Hutton, 35, has a 1-10-1 record this season. Meanwhile, Tokarski, 31, hasn’t played in the NHL since a 10-minute stint in 2016-17.

A lower-body injury ... Read the full article

Sabres reportedly close to trading goalie Jonas Johansson

BUFFALO – When the Sabres signed minor league goalie Michael Houser to a one-year, $700,000 contract Friday, it ignited speculation they had another move in the works.

Sure enough, when the Sabres convened for Friday’s practice inside KeyBank Center, goalie Jonas Johansson was absent.

The Sabres are close to trading Johansson, according to The Buffalo News. The Swede would likely be dealt to the Colorado Avalanche, NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes reported.

But the ... Read the full article

Changes could be coming to Sabres: ‘Guys expect something’

Everything was set up nicely Tuesday for the Buffalo Sabres to end their marathon losing steak.

In the New Jersey Devils, the hapless Sabres faced another reeling team they have earned three of their six wins against this season.

The Devils, who also endured a long COVID-19 pause last month, had 11 lost straight games at Prudential Center. Overall, they had dropped four straight contests and 12 of their last 14.

But the Sabres, who ... Read the full article

Sabres want to find out what they have in goalie Jonas Johansson

BUFFALO – Instead of relying on veteran goalie Carter Hutton last week, the Sabres turned to Jonas Johansson, starting the rookie three straight games.

Johansson even played against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a heavyweight team Hutton has dominated over his eight-year career.

With starting goalie Linus Ullmark injured, the Sabres wanted Johansson, a third-round pick in 2014, to experience a heavy NHL workload.

“It was good for him to see a few games in a ... Read the full article

Fast development earns Sabres’ Dylan Cozens promotion to No. 1 center

For almost two months, the Buffalo Sabres eased rookie Dylan Cozens into the NHL by playing him at right wing instead of center, his natural position.

Cozens, 20, kept seizing his opportunities, moving up the lineup and becoming one coach Ralph Krueger’s most trusted forwards just weeks into his career.

So when the upper-body injury captain Jack Eichel suffered Sunday afternoon kept him from playing Tuesday, instead of promoting a veteran, Krueger tabbed Cozens to ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Kevyn Adams says Jack Eichel hasn’t requested trade

When the Buffalo Sabres hired Kevyn Adams as general manager, he made it a point to develop a relationship with Jack Eichel, his captain and best player.

“Jack is someone that I’ve bounced things off of, he’s talked to me and we have an open dialogue,” Adams said on a Zoom call Friday afternoon.

Given the Sabres’ woes throughout Eichel’s six-year tenure, some believe he could want out of Buffalo. But Adams said Eichel, ... Read the full article

Why is Sabres captain Jack Eichel having such a down season?

BUFFALO – Three weeks ago, Sabres captain Jack Eichel felt confident he would shake off his underwhelming start and, in his words, begin to “take off.”

Eichel, understandably, had trouble adjusting to the dizzying pace of the schedule earlier this season.

An upper-body injury sidelined him the first five days of an abbreviated training camp. Then he played 10 games in 18 days following barely a week of practice.

So the COVID-19 pause that began ... Read the full article