Buffalo News

'"Until a kid is put in that position, he doesn't feel it for himself," Karmanos said. "So we think that'll pay dividends for him going forward. He's talented enough where it was a decision that we made to put him in and see what happened."' … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: It was disservice to run out Matt Savoie for pro debut during Amerks’ showdown series

'This is a question of Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Levi and Mr. X, who is acquired in a trade that likely sees Luukkonen go the other way. It would be hard to give up on UPL after all the time and effort the Sabres have invested in him, but I can see it happening. He's not a Kevyn Adams draft pick, remember. And this is now about winning and not about development at the … [Read more...] about Sabres roundtable: Is a No. 1 goalie on the shopping list? Who is next to break out?

'But while it's true the Sabres gave up the two best players in the trades and those two guys are battling for the Cup, let's not forget they got quite a haul for Eichel and Reinhart, too. Here's the list: Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, Noah Ostlund. A draft pick that was turned into Jordan Greenway. Jiri Kulich. And almost-certain goalie of the future Devon Levi.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Jack and Sam Show comes to NHL’s biggest stage as former Sabres stars battle for Cup

'Peterka, 21, finished with six goals and six assists and was tied for second in points with 12, along with Czechia's Dominik Kubalik. They were behind only the 14 points of Team USA's Rocco Grimaldi. The 12 points broke the German record in an international tournament of 11 that had stood since 1930.' … [Read more...] about Trio of Sabres strike gold for Canada, but Germany’s JJ Peterka has a breakthrough at Worlds

'Johnson, who the Sabres selected 31st overall in 2019 with a pick acquired in the Ryan O’Reilly trade, fits the style of play in Buffalo and Rochester. He’s a strong skater who delivers an excellent first pass and showed during his senior season at Minnesota that he’s grown leaps and bounds from the day he was drafted at 17 years old.' … [Read more...] about Ryan Johnson becomes latest Sabres prospect to sign entry-level contract

'Komarov earned more ice time and a role on the power play, leading to a breakout performance with the Remparts. He produced 12 goals and 39 points in 62 regular-season games, then added one goal and eight points in 18 playoff games to help Quebec win the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Championship. He'll be relied on as their stalwart on defense when the Ramparts begin … [Read more...] about Sabres sign defense prospect Vsevolod Komarov to entry-level contract

'“There is definitely some unfinished business, for sure,” he said. “I've been through a lot here ... and I just think we're scratching the surface. I think that it's pretty evident by what's happened in the playoffs this year that we're not very far from reaching the top of the mountain and it's something that I had set out to do when I had my introductory press conference, … [Read more...] about Kyle Okposo ready to help Sabres try to reach ‘top of the mountain’

'When asked about Okposo, every player in the dressing room on lockout cleanout day last month said they wanted to return. Okposo had 11 goals and 17 assists in 75 games, a drop in production from his Buffalo-best 21 goals and 24 assists in 2021-22. But Okposo lost his power-play time last season, mostly to Jack Quinn, and that contributed to the decrease.' … [Read more...] about Sabres captain Kyle Okposo signs one-year, $2.5 million deal to return next season

'The pair of Sabres prospects won't be in the lineup Tuesday night when the Amerks play the Hershey Bears in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final, but they were sent to Rochester to receive an introduction to life in the AHL.' … [Read more...] about Sabres prospects Noah Ostlund, Olivier Nadeau get early look at life as Amerks

'It's too soon to predict where Savoie will play next season. One option would be for the Sabres to carry him on the NHL roster long enough that he can go on a conditioning assignment to Rochester. He could receive valuable experience with the Amerks before heading to the IIHF World Junior Championship. The Sabres would then have Savoie finish the regular season in junior … [Read more...] about Sabres prospect Matt Savoie will have opportunity to earn spot in Amerks’ lineup

'Veteran Pittsburgh beat writer Josh Yohe of the Athletic went so far as to call Botterill a "no-brainer" for the job in a column last week, while admitting that Botterill's spotty record here could bring pause to the process. "Things didn’t go so well for Botterill in Buffalo," Yohe wrote. "Though, in retrospect, he made some moves that are helping the Sabres turn the corner … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: As Penguins continue to ponder new GM, return of Jason Botterill seems like a fit

'Novikov is the seventh player the Sabres have signed from their 2021 draft class. Fellow Russian Aleksandr Kisakov, a second-rounder in '21, is playing this season in Rochester, but has been a scratch during the Amerks' Calder Cup playoff run.' … [Read more...] about Sabres sign Russian defenseman Nikita Novikov to entry-level contract

'This means a lot for the Sabres. The last time the Amerks got to this point, they lost to Milwaukee in five games in a series that saw them drop two "home" games in then-HSBC Arena as Blue Cross was taken up by a circus. Ryan Miller, Jason Pominville, Paul Gaustad, Derek Roy were on that team and Thomas Vanek and Daniel Paille joined the next season while the NHL lockout was … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Last time Amerks got this far, Sabres closed in on Stanley Cup

'At this point, the best player in those two trades left Buffalo and went elsewhere. But those labels can change over time, and even if that result comes to pass, there's hardly going to be egg on Adams' face. Among his acquisitions in these deals were a franchise cornerstone (Alex Tuch), perhaps his future No. 1 goalie (Devon Levi) and a star prospect up front (Jiri Kulich).' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Even as former stars close in on Stanley Cup, Sabres’ big deals show both sides can be happy

'That's part of our setup here that we're really proud of. Nick Craven, our strength and conditioning coach here in Rochester, is really great. He does a tremendous job. It's a big part of what we tried to do. I'm kind of a broken record on this, but it's worth saying over and over and over again, both up top with Donny Granato and down here with Seth Appert, we have two … [Read more...] about Q&A: Sabres’ Jason Karmanos on how Rochester Amerks have won while developing players