Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage

NHL Draft: Sabres could land Hedman-type defenseman with Owen Power

Ex-NHL defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo knew Owen Power, the 18-year-old the Buffalo Sabres are expected to select first overall at the NHL Draft on Friday, was a special prospect.

Still, hulking defensemen in their teens – at 6-foot-6 and 213 pounds, Power already possesses a man’s body – are usually at least a little raw.

So when Colaiacovo watched Power earlier this month at the Power Edge Pro camp in Toronto, the up-close examination changed ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Kraken take Will Borgen in NHL Expansion Draft

If the Seattle Kraken hadn’t selected Will Borgen from the Sabres in Wednesday’s NHL Expansion Draft, he likely would’ve competed for a spot among Buffalo’s top-six defensemen next season.

Borgen, 24, was close to enjoying regular duty last season before breaking his forearm.

So after six years of development – the Sabres drafted Borgen in the fourth round in 2015, 92nd overall – he departed just as he was maturing into an NHL talent.... Read the full article

Kraken claim Will Borgen from Sabres in NHL Expansion Draft

The Buffalo Sabres have lost defenseman Will Borgen to the Seattle Kraken in the NHL Expansion Draft.

Borgen, 24, played 10 NHL games last season and likely would’ve enjoyed regular duty if he hadn’t broken his forearm. The Sabres drafted the American in the fourth round in 2015, 92nd overall.

After leaving St. Cloud State following his junior season in 2018, Borgen compiled four goals, 25 points and 132 penalty minutes in 130 AHL games ... Read the full article

NHL Draft prospect Mason McTavish could give Sabres power forward

Last November, Mason McTavish started pursuing a temporary gig playing overseas. With the Ontario Hockey League season paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL Draft prospect needed to shake off the rust and showcase his talents.

Later that month, McTavish, a star center for the Peterborough Petes, thought he would be flying to Switzerland to play for Olten EHC. He was in Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal ready to leave when he ... Read the full article

NHL Draft prospect William Eklund would be intriguing choice for Sabres

William Eklund believes playing another season in the Swedish Hockey League will benefit his development, so whichever team picks the winger early in Friday’s NHL Draft will likely have to wait a year for him.

“I have one more year in Europe to develop into a better player here,” Eklund, a winger who has spent the last two seasons with Djurgardens IF, said on a Zoom call July 6.

NHL Central Scouting ranked Eklund first ... Read the full article

Sabres release 2021 preseason schedule

The Sabres will play six preseason games, including three contests at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, prior to the 2021-22 NHL regular season, the team announced this afternoon.

The COVID-19 pandemic prevented NHL teams from playing any exhibition games prior to last season’s truncated 56-game schedule.

The Sabres will play every preseason game in an NHL arena for the first time since 2015.

The schedule:... Read the full article

NHL releases Sabres’ protected list for Expansion Draft

Sorry, Ron Francis, you won’t get a chance to snatch Rasmus Ristolainen for your Seattle Kraken defense corps. The Buffalo Sabres protected the Finn for Wednesday’s NHL Expansion Draft.

But if Francis, Seattle’s general manager, wants to grab a defenseman from the Sabres, he can take Will Borgen or Colin Miller, both of whom were left unprotected.

The Sabres’ 11-man protected list the NHL released Sunday morning features zero surprises. There had been speculation the ... Read the full article

Sabres could lose valuable young player to Kraken in NHL Expansion Draft

Since the Buffalo Sabres drafted Will Borgen 92nd overall in 2015, he has morphed from a relatively unknown prospect into a defenseman on the cusp of regular NHL duty.

The Sabres have guided Borgen’s development from his college career at St. Cloud State through his early pro days with the Rochester Americans to the big leagues.

Prior to breaking his forearm last season, Borgen, 24, appeared to be close to securing a spot on Buffalo’s ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jeff Skinner waives no-movement clause for Expansion Draft

Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner has waived his no-movement clause for the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft, his agent, Don Meehan, confirmed to the Times Herald on Wednesday.

Skinner’s decision is significant. The Sabres can use his spot to protect a young forward – perhaps Rasmus Asplund, Anders Bjork or Tage Thompson – who could’ve been exposed to the Seattle Kraken next Wednesday.

Skinner, 29, has struggled since signing an eight-year, $72 million contract ... Read the full article

Dylan Guenther could be too talented for Sabres to pass up at NHL Draft

NHL Draft prospect Dylan Guenther was just 15, a neophyte up for his first taste of major junior hockey. Still, despite being one of the league’s youngest players, the winger turned heads during his eight-game stint, utilizing his lethal shot to score three times.

“Dylan’s a shooter,” said Brad Lauer, Guenther’s coach with the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings. “Right from 15 when we had him, he scored three goals for us that some ... Read the full article