Buffalo News

'“I think from the beginning, I always thought that Donnie should be part of this conversation, regardless of what happens exactly on the wins and losses of our team,” Adams said. “But yeah, this is an amazing opportunity for Donnie to implement how he sees things and what he would do and not just talking about it, but actually doing it. … Donnie Granato is a person that I … [Read more...] about Sabres GM Kevyn Adams: Don Granato ‘in the mix’ to be full-time head coach

'What is the plan? It better be more than soft perimeter players, which is what we see too much of now. Adams is stockpiling draft picks, which underwhelms me. He has 10 in hand for 2021 and that gives him quite a bit more flexibility than he had in October. He made just five picks in his first draft, the fewest the club has had since 1977.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: The education of Kevyn Adams won’t be a straight-line process

'Ullmark was thought to be among one of the top goalies potentially available via trade. A sixth-round draft pick of the Sabres in 2012, Ullmark has emerged as a possible franchise goaltender over the past two years, posting a .917 save percentage and 2.64 goals-against average while compiling a 9-6-3 record in 19 games this season.' … [Read more...] about New contract for goalie Linus Ullmark a ‘priority’ for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams

'Bjork was teammates with Sabres captain Jack Eichel when the two played under Buffalo interim coach Don Granato at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. Bjork also represented the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2016, totaling three goals in seven games on a team that also included Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Zach Wereneski, Brock … [Read more...] about Five things to know about newly acquired Sabres winger Anders Bjork

'One of the things about these trades, all of which are nuanced in their own way and carry varying levels of magnitude, is that they rarely paint the Sabres organization in a great light. With the various overhauls in the Sabres' front office, there have been wide-ranging perspectives about how to turn the ship around. One thing that’s been shared across most of these front … [Read more...] about Travis Yost’s Sabre Metrics: Not good trading trend – buy high and sell low

'“We’re just starting to realize how we need to play, and I think everybody’s getting on the same page in the new system that Donnie wants us to play,” veteran winger Kyle Okposo said. “It seems to be working for our group. … When we had to battle, we had to bear down, we did that.”' … [Read more...] about Observations: Sabres’ belief, confidence growing after tumultuous stretch

'There's some chemistry building on this club, players clearly enjoying the game again now that they're free from the shackles of Ralph Kreuger's defense-first plod up and down the ice. But new players or departures can disrupt that mix. The work will have to remain hard for things to keep going well.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Sabres doing their jobs, now it’s time for GM Kevyn Adams to do his

'The Sabres, now 10-25-6, snapped a two-game losing streak and twice tied the score after falling behind on the road. Buffalo is 4-2-2 over its last eight games.' … [Read more...] about The Wraparound: Sabres’ third-period surge completes comeback win

'In Bjork, the Sabres are getting a 24-year-old former fifth-round pick who has played 138 regular-season games over four years in the NHL. He has totaled two goals with three assists and a minus-8 rating while averaging 12:18 of ice time in 30 games for the Bruins this season. He has been a healthy scratch in the last five games. Bjork also played under Sabres interim head … [Read more...] about Reports: Sabres acquire Anders Bjork, draft pick from Boston for Taylor Hall, Curtis Lazar

'That's the best Adams could do with hours remaining before the deadline? That feels like a panic move.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Kevyn Adams gets underwhelming return in late-night Taylor Hall deal

'Montour, whose right shot and elite stride never ignited the Sabres’ offense as former General Manager Jason Botterill imagined, is a pending unrestricted free agent counting $3.85 million against the salary cap. Adams did not have to retain salary in the trade, providing the Sabres with much-needed cap space.' … [Read more...] about Sabres trade defenseman Brandon Montour to Panthers for draft pick

'Then the former seventh overall draft pick surprised the Sabres’ medical staff with a quick recovery that allowed him to rejoin the team for practice Saturday ahead of a three-game road trip. Although Cozens will need to be assessed following the full-contact on-ice session, he’s an option to be in the lineup Sunday when the Sabres play the Flyers in Philadelphia at 2 p.m.' … [Read more...] about Sabres notebook: Dylan Cozens may return to the lineup in Philadelphia

'Another sign Ralph Krueger had too much influence: A three-year contract to Zemgus Girgensons and a two-year deal for Cody Eakin. I would have instead kept Johan Larsson, who could win faceoffs and kill penalties and play with an edge. Eakin, a Winnipeg native like Krueger, has been a bust at $2.2 million and is under contract for next year as well.' … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: GMs heading to deadline should learn from Lightning’s moves

'The Sabres’ progress under interim coach Don Granato will be measured more so by player development than points in the standings. While the 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Friday was the Sabres’ 15th consecutive defeat at the hands of the East Division’s top four teams, Mittelstadt was one of several young players to stand out.' … [Read more...] about Observations: Casey Mittelstadt, other young players shine in Sabres’ loss

'An uneven 60 minutes of hockey included some encouraging performances from young players, most notably Casey Mittelstadt and Henri Jokiharju, and a better defensive showing against the prolific Washington Capitals.' … [Read more...] about Wraparound: Sabres lose another game to a top team in the East Division