The Hockey News

'Let’s focus on Jankowski. He came over from Hockey Canada, where he was director of player personnel for an assortment of national junior teams, and a head scout before that (including Canada’s gold-medal WJC squad from 2015). He also had NHL experience as a scout in Montreal and as assistant GM with the New York Islanders.' … [Read more...] about Did the Buffalo Sabres fire too many scouts too quickly?

'A year after drafting Perreault, the Sabres selected Rick Martin at No. 5 overall and they joined Rene Robert to form ‘The French Connection’ line, which still reigns as the definitive scoring unit in team history. Robert couldn’t be included on the Sabres’ all-time all-drafted team – as he wasn’t drafted – so we’ve slotted Danny Gare as the first-line right winger. He played … [Read more...] about Buffalo’s all-time draft team: long live ‘The French Connection’

'Now here’s where it gets interesting: the Sabres have a ton of free agent forwards this summer and I say you let the majority walk. Michael Frolik, Jimmy Vesey, even home-grown products Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson can all be replaced. None of them will be the secondary scorers the Sabres need. Maybe you re-sign Wayne Simmonds for leadership and toughness, but only if … [Read more...] about How do you fix the Buffalo Sabres?

'Playing for a cut rate can be beneficial for Bogosian, as well, if for no other reason than giving him the chance to finally experience the post-season. He’s played 636 NHL games, but not a single one in the post-season. He wasn’t going to get there in Buffalo, not this season. Now that he might have the chance to pick between a few clubs, though, maybe he finally gets a taste … [Read more...] about Sabres terminate Bogosian’s contract – and now the veteran defender will have options

'There is an extra wrinkle to the Sabres’ situation, however. Their roughly $2.2 million in cap space is hardly enough to add any of the more sought after scoring options on the market, at least not without some help by way of salary retention. But what makes Buffalo an intriguing team moving forward beyond their possible interest in adding another option up front is that they … [Read more...] about Why the recent trade action is only the beginning for the Flames and Sabres

'If he were to win the Hart, Eichel would be only the second player in franchise history to be named MVP, after the greatest Sabre (and in this writer’s opinion the greatest NHL goalie) of all-time, Dominik Hasek. If Eichel records a point Thursday night in Philadelphia, he’ll tie Gilbert Perreault for the longest scoring streak in franchise history at 18 games. At this point … [Read more...] about Jack Eichel making a compelling case for the true definition of MVP

'“There is so much speed in the league right now,” the coach said. “It is very difficult to play defensively without the puck on a consistent basis for a young player. We’d like him to continue to develop that side of his game. Before he came to the NHL he had the puck the whole game, so he didn’t have to play without it. We’re going to be doing some really good work with him … [Read more...] about Prospect need to know: Casey Mittelstadt’s going back to basics

'“Obviously it was disappointing getting hurt at development camp and having to miss a lot of my summer training and the showcase,” he said. “But I still flew in, hung out with the guys and met all the staff. The biggest thing the thumb injury helped with was my lower-body strength, because I wasn’t able to work on my upper body. So I was all focused around explosiveness and … [Read more...] about World Junior Championship: How Buffalo Sabres pick Dylan Cozens turned adversity into power

'Eichel has his eyes on a bigger prize than a scoring crown or individual accolades, however. Not once during his four previous campaigns in Buffalo have the Sabres made the post-season. That’s the goal this season. And if Buffalo can accomplish it, it’s likely Eichel’s star will shine a little brighter. The Sabres hope has to be that the injury bug that has plagued Eichel in … [Read more...] about A maturing Jack Eichel is showing why he’s one of the NHL’s best and brightest

'Nobody is suggesting this season will be a repeat of 2018-19, but things are getting concerning for this team. When the Sabres went into the tank last season, it was basically because their secondary scoring dried up and left almost all the offensive heavy lifting to Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart. Things are eerily similar through this last stretch. But the one difference is … [Read more...] about Sabres have to make sure the disaster of 2018 doesn’t become the debacle of 2019

'Second, we did not see Ralph Krueger coming. Months after he was hired as GM of the Sabres, Murray fired Ted Nolan and replaced him with Dan Bylsma. Didn’t work. When Jason Botterill became GM of the Sabres, he fired Bylsma and replaced him with Phil Housley. Really didn’t work. The funny thing is that both hirings seemed like pretty good ideas at the time.' … [Read more...] about The Sabres will (maybe, possibly, probably not) win the Stanley Cup in 2020, just like we predicted

'The true tests are on the way for the Sabres. In November, Buffalo will square off against the Tampa Bay Lightning three times, Toronto Maple Leafs twice and have dates with each of the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes and Calgary Flames, all of whom are among the NHL’s heavyweights. Can Hutton realistically stay this hot? To do so, he’ll have to buck some of his own career … [Read more...] about The Sabres are finally getting the goaltending they need in Carter Hutton, but will it last?

'True, a cursory glance at NaturalStatTrick suggests some of the same good puck-luck fortune is benefitting Buffalo in the early going. Through six games, an admittedly tiny sample, the Sabres rank 13th in the NHL with a 9.8 shooting percentage at 5-on-5 and a five-a-side SP of .956, second in the league. The result is a 105.4 PDO, the third-highest mark in the NHL. But Buffalo … [Read more...] about After last season’s collapse, is there any reason to believe this season’s Sabres are the real deal?

'To the Sabres credit, though, those are the kind of mistakes they are willing to live with from a 19-year-old phenom defenseman. When the Sabres purged their coaching staff after last season, they decided to keep Steve Smith on as an assistant coach under Ralph Krueger. Smith runs the defense and Dahlin was happy he was kept on. “You can make a mistake and coaches say, ‘Get in … [Read more...] about For now, the Sabres are willing to live with Dahlin’s mistakes in exchange for his brilliant offensive play

'Spending additional time overseas was likely always going to be the path for Olofsson, of course. Seventh-round picks aren’t expected to make immediate jumps to the NHL. But the wise move the Sabres made was allowing him to improve back home before bringing him over. Playing against men while still a junior-aged player helped, just as it helps many of the top-tier European … [Read more...] about Sabres winger Victor Olofsson is showing why patience pays off