WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Free Agency Edition
Nikita Zadorov played seven NHL games last season. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Ask Ted Nolan about playing teenagers in the NHL, and the Sabres coach will tell you very few possess the maturity to play there at such a young age.
Shortly after Nolan took over in November, the Sabres sent Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov, two defensemen drafted in the first round months earlier, away for more seasoning.
On Friday, Nolan was asked if the Sabres could potentially play the two 19-year-olds ... Read the full article
Nikita Zadorov was sent back to junior early last season. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – After a seven-game NHL trial as a rookie early last season, Sabres prospect Nikita Zadorov feels ready for primetime. The 19-year-old defenseman believes an impressive training camp could force the Sabres to keep him.
“I’m a year older, a year stronger – everything,” Zadorov said earlier this week. “I have experience.”
Zadorov will be at least a few games richer in experience by next week, after the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, ... Read the full article
Sam Reinhart was drafted No. 2 in June. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Four first-round picks, including center Sam Reinhart, the No. 2 overall selection this year, are on the Sabres’ 24-man roster for the 2014 NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Mich.
Winger Joel Armia and defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov are the other first-rounders.
The eight-team tournament runs from Friday until next Tuesday. The Sabres won in 2011 and finished second in 2013.
The complete Buffalo roster the team released today is ... Read the full article
Mikhail Grigorenko keeps the puck away from Jake McCabe during Tuesday’s scrimmage. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The comments are significant, Mikhail Grigorenko’s most telling since joining the Sabres months after they selected him 12th overall in 2012.
In a hallway outside the First Niagara Center dressing room hours before a development camp scrimmage Tuesday, the 20-year-old Russian spoke candidly about his short career, blaming himself for his NHL struggles.
“From past experiences, I kind of realized it was probably no one’s fault but mine I didn’t stay in ... Read the full article
Zemgus Girgensons spent all last season with the Sabres. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Some experts are already predicting the Sabres, a team three months removed from the worst NHL season in recent memory, will be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders in a few years.
Why? Their prospect pool might be the deepest in hockey.
Seven first-round picks are participating in the team’s development camp this week. Seven of the 41 prospects played in the NHL last season, including center Zemgus Girgensons, who spent the entire campaign ... Read the full article
Mikhail Grigorenko has spent the last month with the Russian junior team. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – At some point this week, prospect Mikhail Grigorenko, fresh off a five-goal, eight-point performance in seven world junior championship games, will be returning to the Sabres, interim coach Ted Nolan said.
But will the 19-year-old center be staying in the NHL?
“He’s coming here for Pat (LaFontaine) and I to discuss,” Nolan said Monday inside the First Niagara Center. “We’ll make that decision when he gets here.”
Nolan, however, acknowledged he would prefer ... Read the full article
Tyler Ennis won a gold medal with Canada five years ago. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
TORONTO – Five years ago, Buffalo Sabres center Tyler Ennis figured he had a good chance to earn a coveted spot on Team Canada’s world junior championship squad.
The 24-year-old was one of his country’s most electrifying junior talents, a first-round draft pick in the midst of a dynamic 43-goal, 85-point season with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He felt he had enjoyed a strong training camp.
But, Ennis said, “Anything can happen.” Canada always has ... Read the full article
Mikhail Grigorenko played well at the world junior championship the last two years. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Mikhail Grigorenko knows watching NHL games as a spare forward is hurting his development.
“I can’t be sitting in the press box. I need to play,” Grigorenko said Thursday morning inside the First Niagara Center. “Everybody understands this.”
Luckily, the Sabres’ new regime understands how vital ice time is to Grigorenko’s maturation, so the team’s letting the 19-year-old center play for Russian at the upcoming world junior championship in Sweden.
“I ... Read the full article
Mikhail Grigorenko will leave the Sabres on Sunday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Mikhail Grigorenko knows he can’t develop properly sitting in the press box regularly.
“I need to play,” Grigorenko said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “Everybody understands this.”
Luckily, the Sabres’ new regime understands that, so the team’s letting the 19-year-old center play for Russian at the upcoming world junior championship in Sweden.
“I think it’s going to be great for me because I’m not getting enough ice time,” said ... Read the full article
Mikhail Grigorenko has been a healthy scratch recently. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Center Mikhail Grigorenko will be leaving the Sabres on Sunday to play for his native Russia at the upcoming world junior championship.
The 19-year-old, a healthy scratch the last two games and five of the last eight under interim coach Ted Nolan, posted a message to a Facebook account this afternoon that read, “Flying to Russia Sunday with my brother Zadorov!”
That’s the Nikita Zadorov, the 18-year-old defenseman the Sabres recently sent back ... Read the full article