The Hockey News

'“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

'Difficult as it might be to imagine at the moment, the Sabres’ five-year timeline gives Buffalo something of a logjam down the middle. Jack Eichel, who will be right in the thick of his prime come the 2023-24 season, is the no-doubt No. 1 center, but who takes the second-line center spot is anyone’s guess after that.' … [Read more...] about Five-year forecast: Your 2023-24 Buffalo Sabres

'Buffalo has more than $5 million in cap wiggle room today, making next summer – when the team has 10 UFAs and three RFAs (in this case, all big-money signings) – extra important. The Sabres won’t have a reason to bring back expensive defenders Zach Bogosian and Marco Scandella with some of the young blueliners they have in the system, especially with both nearing 30. Buffalo … [Read more...] about Expansion plan: Projecting the Buffalo Sabres’ protection list for the 2021 expansion draft

'So which teams make for intriguing trade partners? These three come to mind...'. … [Read more...] about It’s time for Buffalo to trade Rasmus Ristolainen. Where?

' Jokiharju was solid with Chicago prior to the World Junior Championship over the winter, but was sent down to Rockford afterwards to get further seasoning. However, the Blackhawks’ acquisitions of Olli Maatta and Calvin de Haan meant Jokiharju wasn’t guaranteed a spot with the big club. He now has the opportunity to step into a spot on a Sabres team that’s still rebuilding … [Read more...] about Blackhawks send Jokiharju to Sabres for Nylander in surprising prospect swap

'Landing a secondary scorer had to be a priority for the Sabres, who scored 226 goals last season, the second-fewest in the Eastern Conference. Johansson fits the bill. And if he can find chemistry alongside Casey Mittelstadt, for whom Buffalo has second-line center hopes, Johansson will help the Sabres have a top-six that can rely on output from more than Jack Eichel and Jeff … [Read more...] about Sabres add scoring mojo, sign Johansson to two-year, $9-million deal

'And further to that point, Skinner’s $9-million cap hit doesn’t stand to put Buffalo in a bind anytime soon. At present, the Sabres have an additional $28-million set to come off the books ahead of next season, and while a few players – Reinhart, Casey Mittelstadt and Brandon Montour – will need extensions next summer, there’s more than enough money to go around.' … [Read more...] about Why spending big bucks to keep Jeff Skinner was worth it for the Sabres