Buffalo News

'“The hooking, holding and obstruction was at a level that the league knew that they were going to have to change it,” Ruff said. “The game was getting down to a crawl. Dallas had some big bodies and had to slow us down. In today’s rules, the penalties would have been about 35-25 and the whole game would have been power play.”' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Lindy Ruff, Ken Hitchcock look back as Buffalo Sabres’ ‘No Goal’ loss turns 25

'(Mark Jakubowski, one of the Sabres’ two assistant general managers) spoke to Markus on Friday. We’ll see him at the draft. Overall, they know we’re excited about UPL, and we want to get him signed. He’s a priority. They know we’re open to shorter, medium and long-term deals. It just has to make sense, and I think they’re open to each of those options, as well. I don’t … [Read more...] about Sabres Q&A: Kevyn Adams on UPL’s contract, Zemgus Girgensons’ status and more

'They have the option to use their draft picks, prospects and salary-cap space this summer to fill the void created by Mittelstadt’s departure. New coach Lindy Ruff needs someone reliable to lead the Sabres’ third line, and Adams must decide if Krebs can handle the assignment at this stage of his career.' … [Read more...] about Peyton Krebs faces pivotal offseason as he tries to find his place with Sabres

'They’re not going to part with Jiri Kulich. The 2022 first-round pick already has scored 51 goals in the American Hockey League and doesn’t turn 21 until April. Otherwise, it’s difficult to see any of these prospects as untouchable in a trade. The Sabres would need to receive a high-end player to consider moving someone such as Matt Savoie, but it’s not out of the question. … [Read more...] about Sabres Mailbag: Will one of the top prospects finally be moved in a trade?

'The NHL clearly should have brought CapFriendly into its purview long ago. The league, however, continues to frown on running any part of its site to include cap information. Commissioner Gary Bettman laughably said at a Stanley Cup Final a few years ago that fans didn’t have much interest in the information and putting it on a league site was a “media-drive” issue.' … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: Caps’ stunning purchase of CapFriendly.com is hard hit to league’s information flow

'Ruff has used defense coach Marty Wilford as a sounding board about a lot of the games and new assistant Seth Appert for insight into the players, especially some of the younger ones who came through Rochester. “He knows these players better than I do, at this point,” Ruff said. “We’ll talk about (JJ) Peterka. We’ll talk about Jack Quinn, about lots of guys. He gives me a real … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Lindy Ruff already has started his deep dive on Sabres’ issues

'The methodology: OLBG ranked NHL mascots based on how unforgettable or forgettable they were by using results of 90-second “NHL Mascot Blitz” quizzes from the trivia website Sporcle. Users had to guess mascot names from the pictures shown in the quizzes, and both memorable and forgotten mascots were ranked in the order of the percentage of participants who correctly named … [Read more...] about As Buffalo pines for a Stanley Cup, Sabretooth gives fans a reason to cheer

'Kulich, 21, endured a long scoring slump after he returned to Rochester following an exceptional performance as captain of Czechia at the IIHF World Junior Championship. However, Kulich improved his defensive play during that spell and showed Sabres management that he can excel as a center in pro hockey.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Jiri Kulich named to AHL’s top prospects team for second year in a row

'“It’s a very intriguing choice that Rochester made, and I’m betting on Mike that it’s all gonna work out,” added U.S. Women’s National Team coach John Wroblewski, who was Leone’s boss at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. ”He’ll do all of the gritty work, but there’s a really intelligent and inspiring individual that is ahead of that grit factor. It’s part of … [Read more...] about How Michael Leone’s coaching journey prepared him to lead Sabres prospects

'Defenseman Stian Solberg, ranked by NHL Central Scouting as the No. 20 European skater in the class, flourished this season while coached by Andersson on Valerenga, a Norwegian professional team.' … [Read more...] about Ex-Sabres scout’s star pupil in Norway an option for Buffalo in the first round

'“It’s an exciting time for the organization looking at the prospects,” Leone said. “Obviously, being in hockey, you watch the draft and the players, and knowing some of the players just from my time at the national program and seeing them at international events. But going back to the relationship with the players, I think it’s really important now, especially all the young … [Read more...] about Amerks coach Michael Leone eager to begin working with Sabres’ prospects

'“This was the favorite place to play for my dad,” Max Plante said of Buffalo. “Unfortunately, he got traded and then beat them in the Stanley Cup Final with Dallas, but he loved it here. It was kind of his starting ground in the NHL.”' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Max Plante hopes to follow the NHL road his father traveled

'Luukkonen’s agent, Markus Lehto, likely will use Thatcher Demko’s most recent contract with the Vancouver Canucks as a comparable. Demko signed a five-year, $25 million contract in March 2021. The Sabres may not want to give Luukkonen a longer-term deal though since they still have Devon Levi, who will be a restricted free agent next summer. To compromise, we’ll give Luukkonen … [Read more...] about Sabres GM for a Day: Patrick Kane headlines series of bold offseason moves

'The approximately 10-minute survey, with an option to stay on to provide even more information, is intended to provide the team with a better understanding of the fan experience at the downtown arena on many levels. It covers subjects such as concessions and retail offerings, the importance of theme nights, promotions and giveaways, energy in the building, the identity of the … [Read more...] about Buffalo Sabres have plenty to ask fans in post-season survey

'We all know the Sabres have the longest postseason drought in NHL history at 13 years and counting. But on the league’s all-time list, do you know which franchises are tied for No. 2? The Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers. Seriously. If you want some small sliver of hope for the Sabres, here it is:' … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: Once former drought masters, Panthers and Oilers now meet for Stanley Cup