Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage

Sabres’ Jeff Skinner not interested in waiving no-movement clause

LAS VEGAS – The Buffalo Sabres have been exploring their options for veteran winger Jeff Skinner, including asking him to waive the no-movement clause in his eight-year, $72 million contract.

Not surprisingly, Skinner, who has three seasons remaining on his massive deal, said, uh, no thanks.

“There’s been honest communication, but no indication that that’s something they’re willing to look at,” Adams said Thursday of Skinner and his representatives at Newport Sports. “But all you ... Read the full article

NHL Draft: Sabres trade 11th selection to Sharks in exchange for two assets

LAS VEGAS – The Buffalo Sabres today traded the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the 14th and 42nd selections.

General manager Kevyn Adams said last week he was willing to deal the Sabres’ first pick.

The Sabres now have nine picks in this weekend’s draft, including the 42nd and 43rd picks in the second round.... Read the full article

NHL Draft: If Sabres don’t trade 11th pick, Tij Iginla could be strong choice

LAS VEGAS – As the son of a legend, 2024 NHL Draft prospect Tij Iginla deals with extra attention, expectations and pressure – at least from the outside.

Iginla’s father, Jarome, a former Calgary Flames star, scored 625 goals during his 20-year Hall of Fame career. The elder Iginla, who always seems to have a smile etched on his face, is regarded as one of hockey’s all-time good guys.

There’s a lot that accompanies being ... Read the full article

NHL Draft: Max Plante, son of ex-Sabres standout, possesses high hockey IQ

BUFFALO – In his first days in organized hockey, Max Plante showcased the IQ that makes him such an intriguing prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft.

Plante was just 4 or 5, yet he understood the sport so well he passed the puck to his teammates. At that age, if a kid gets the puck, they usually keep it. But Plante even distributed it around the net.

His father, Derek, a three-time 20-goal scorer for ... Read the full article

With UPL, Devon Levi in Buffalo, Sabres plan to add goalie depth for minors

BUFFALO – When the Sabres look for goaltending this summer, they want to add depth for their minor league affiliates, not any immediate help for the NHL.

General manager Kevyn Adams said the team’s net belongs to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, 25, and Devon Levi, 22, next season.

“My plan is … we are going to have two real talented goaltenders playing on a nightly basis,” Adams said Thursday in KeyBank Center during media availability to discuss ... Read the full article

Buffalo Sabres release 2024 preseason schedule

The Buffalo Sabres will play six preseason games next season, including three at KeyBank Center, the team announced Monday.

Broadcast and ticket information will be announced at a later date.

The schedule is below. Home games are in bold.... Read the full article

NHL Draft: USA prospect Cole Eiserman could be intriguing choice for Sabres

BUFFALO – Nick Fohr, Cole Eiserman’s coach at the Team USA National Team Development Program, has tried to dissect what makes the 2024 NHL Draft prospect’s shot so lethal.

“Like, is it release? Is it just how hard it is?” Fohr wondered. “I don’t have a 100 percent answer to it, but I definitely think the pace that it comes off his stick is elite.”

Eiserman’s shot is so dynamic that at the recent World ... Read the full article

As Sabres enter new phase, GM Kevyn Adams open to trading first-round pick

BUFFALO – This is new for Kevyn Adams. For three years, the general manager methodically constructed the Sabres, refusing to stray from his plan.

That meant using every first-round pick – he’s had a whopping six since 2021 – and resisting any quick fixes that could hurt his blueprint for sustained success.

But the Sabres have graduated to what Adams called “another phase.” Expectations have been raised.... Read the full article

Kevyn Adams aware of rumors Sabres could buy out Jeff Skinner

BUFFALO – General manager Kevyn Adams knows there are rumors the Sabres could buy out winger Jeff Skinner, who has three seasons remaining on his eight-year, $72 million contract.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Tuesday called a buyout “a possibility,” igniting speculation about the 14-year veteran’s future.

Skinner, 32, certainly fits the criteria of a player the Sabres, who have missed the playoffs an NHL-record 13 straight seasons, would consider cutting loose.

He struggled last season, ... Read the full article

‘No Goal’ at 25: Former Sabres standout Derek Plante learned special lessons during Stars’ 1999 Stanley Cup run

In the moments after Brett Hull scored, as Derek Plante celebrated the Dallas Stars’ Stanley Cup victory, on the other side of the ice, he saw his former Buffalo Sabres teammates trying to process the most gut-wrenching loss of their lives.

Twenty-five years ago Wednesday – June 19, 1999 – Brett Hull scored his controversial “No Goal” 14:51 into the third overtime of Game 6, clinching the Stars’ first championship. Plante watched the disputed goal ... Read the full article