Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage

Sabres notes: Don Granato believes Erik Johnson will help Rasmus Dahlin, other defensemen

BUFFALO – If Sabres coach Don Granato puts Erik Johnson on the top defense pairing, he believes the veteran can help Rasmus Dahlin reset from the mental pressure he often puts on himself.

Granato said Johnson, having been a first overall pick like Dahlin, has “walked that walk.”

Of course, Granato thinks Johnson, 35, would have a similar effect on Owen Power, the No. 1 selection in 2021. And if Johnson skates with Mattias ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie prospect Scott Ratzlaff draws comparisons to Devon Levi

BUFFALO – Considering he’s a 6-foot Sabres goalie prospect who has represented Team Canada, it was inevitable Scott Ratzlaff would draw comparisons to Devon Levi.

But the similarities go beyond their size, position and team. Ratzlaff, like Levi, who ended last season as the Sabres’ starting goalie, has a cerebral approach to the game, said Jerry Forton, Buffalo’s director of amateur scouting.

Ratzlaff, a fifth-round pick last Thursday, 141st overall, likes to study his ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Kale Clague to one-year contract

The Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday added depth to their blue line, re-signing defenseman Kale Clague to a one-year, two-way contract.

The deal is worth $775,000 in the NHL, with $475,000 guaranteed, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who reported the contract Tuesday.

The Sabres did not give Clague, 25, a qualifying offer last week as a restricted free agent, allowing them to re-sign him for a lower salary as a free agent.... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Amerks close to hiring assistant coaches; Buffalo open to adding another forward

BUFFALO – Instead of getting into a deep discussion of Xs and Os with job candidates or having them diagram plays, Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert prefers to conduct more personal interviews.

“I’m a people-oriented, relationship-oriented person,” the loquacious Appert said Sunday following the first session of Sabres development camp at LECOM Harborcenter.

Appert, whose two assistant coaches, Michael Peca and Mike Weber, both recently left for NHL jobs, said he wants to talk to ... Read the full article

In Connor Clifton, Sabres hope they’ve added missing piece on defense

BUFFALO – Their relationship began almost 12 years ago. Connor Clifton was playing for the New Jersey Hitmen, a junior team in his home state. Don Granato was in his first season coaching at the U.S. National Team Development Program.

Clifton, a defenseman the Sabres signed Saturday, hadn’t made Team USA’s Under-17 squad that year. But during the season, he earned a brief recall to the program.

“That month of hockey I learned more than ... Read the full article

Veteran Erik Johnson believes Sabres will ‘contend for a long time’

BUFFALO – After defenseman Erik Johnson learned the Colorado Avalanche wouldn’t be re-signing him, he said five or six teams emerged as suitors in free agency.

The Sabres, a team he said reminds him of the Avalanche not long ago, quickly moved to the top of his list.

Johnson, 35, called some old teammates and bounced the interested clubs off them.

“All of them really said Buffalo’s a team on the rise,” said Johnson, who ... Read the full article

Sabres sign two goalies for Rochester, including Dustin Tokarski, and forward

The Buffalo Sabres added depth in free agency this afternoon, signing two goalies – old friend Dustin Tokarski and Devin Cooley – and forward Justin Richards to one-year contracts.

All the players inked two-way deals worth $775,000 in the NHL.

Tokarski, 33, played 42 games for the Sabres over two seasons before signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins last year.

Right now, the Sabres have goalies Eric Comrie, Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen under one-way contracts, ... Read the full article

Sabres sign defensemen Erik Johnson, Connor Clifton in free agency, bring back Tyson Jost

The Buffalo Sabres today made three moves in the opening hour of free agency, signing right-shot defensemen Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton and re-signing center Tyson Jost.

General manager Kevyn Adams said leading up to free agency he wanted to add to his blue line this offseason, and in Johnson and Clifton he addressed the Sabres’ most glaring need.

Johnson, 35, signed a $3.25 million contract. Meanwhile, Clifton, 28, inked a three-year deal with an ... Read the full article

Zach Benson, Sabres’ other NHL Draft picks to attend development camp

First-round pick Zach Benson and the Buffalo Sabres’ seven other selections at the NHL Draft this week will be attending the team’s development camp that starts Sunday at LECOM Harborcenter.

The roster released today features 19 forwards, 11 defensemen and five goalies.

Winger Victor Neuchev and defenseman Nikita Novikov, Russian prospects who recently signed their entry-level contracts, will be participating. It’s the first time they’ve attended a camp in Buffalo.... Read the full article

Sabres don’t extend qualifying offers to Tyson Jost, two others

Following the end of his first season in Buffalo, center Tyson Jost talked about what a special group he had joined and how badly he wanted to return to the Sabres.

On Friday, the Sabres did not give Jost, 25, a qualifying offer, meaning he can become an unrestricted free agent when the market opens Saturday.

General manager Kevyn Adams, however, has said he wants Jost to return. By not extending him an offer as ... Read the full article