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Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen leaves game injured as Sabres end preseason
BUFFALO – When the Sabres open the regular season Thursday in Columbus, Colten Ellis could be their starting goalie. A trying preseason in which they lost five significant players to injury in four games, including top goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon , has mercifully ended. In Saturday afternoon’s 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ruff said Luukkonen, who has a history of injuries, left 3:47 into the third period when he tweaked something on ... Read the full article The po...
Signing Matt Grzelcyk shows Sabres in full Stanley Cup mode; Olen Zellweger could be back for opener
BUFFALO – When the Sabres announced Friday they had signed veteran Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year, $850,000 contract, it felt like they might also reveal they expected at least one of their two injured defensemen, Mattias Samuelsson and Olen Zellweger, to be sidelined longer than they expected. But Samuelsson and Zellweger, both of whom went down in Tuesday’s 5-1 preseason win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, are doing well. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Samuelsson, ... Read the full article ...
Sabres waive eight players, including first-rounder, assign 17 to Rochester
The Buffalo Sabres on Friday placed eight players on waivers, including defenseman Ryan Johnson , a first-round pick in 2019, for the purpose of assigning them to the Rochester Americans. The Sabres also waived goalie Matt Villalta, defenseman Dennis Gilbert and forwards Mason Geertsen, Trevor Kuntar, Aidan McDonough, Carson Meyer and Jason Polin. Update: Everyone on waivers cleared. In addition, the Sabres also assigned the following players to the Amerks, their AHL affiliate: goalies T...
After losing two defensemen to injury, Sabres sign veteran Matt Grzelcyk
BUFFALO – The Sabres, who lost two of their top defensemen to injury in Tuesday’s preseason game, added depth to their blue line this morning by signing veteran Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year, $850,000 contract. Inking the left-shot Grzelcyk, a puck-moving defender, indicates Mattias Samuelsson, who’s week to week with a lower-body injury, and Olen Zellweger, who has a concussion, could be sidelined into the regular season. The Sabres open their campaign Thursday on the ... Read the full arti...
With waivers looming, Sabres prospect Ryan Johnson reaches critical juncture in young career
BUFFALO – Ryan Johnson’s legs are his greatest gift. The Sabres prospect is a sublime, world-class skater who possesses the talent to move alongside anyone. “We know he can skate with the best players,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said of the defenseman following a recent session of training camp in KeyBank Center. “He can skate with the top players in the league.” Pure skill isn’t an issue. To stick in the NHL, Johnson, the 31st ... Read the full article The post With waivers looming, Sabre...
Sabres’ Alex Lyon, Jiri Kulich leave loss to Red Wings with injuries
For the second straight preseason game, the Buffalo Sabres lost two key players to injuries. Goalie Alex Lyon and center Jiri Kulich both exited Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Update: Ruff said Lyon is being evaluated today. The team will know more about his injury Saturday. Meanwhile, Kulich stayed off the ice today for maintenance. Ruff said the Czech could skate Saturday or play in the preseason finale against the Pittsburgh ... Read the full article The post...
Sabres preseason: Jiri Kulich to center top line; Gavin McCarthy set to debut
BUFFALO – The Sabres’ plan for Jiri Kulich this preseason includes moving him around the lineup at different positions. So the Czech forward, who missed most of last season recovering from a blood clot, is expected to center the top line alongside Konsta Helenius and Noah Ostlund for at least some of tonight’s preseason road game against the Detroit Red Wings. Kulich, who will likely play all four exhibition contests, has spent some of training ... Read the full article The post Sabres p...
Sabres D Mattias Samuelsson week to week with injury; Olen Zellweger in concussion protocol
BUFFALO – It took less than one week of training camp for injuries to the hit the Sabres hard. When the Sabres open the season next Thursday on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they could be without two of their top four defensemen. Mattias Samuelsson, their top shutdown defender, is week to week with a lower-body injury he suffered blocking a shot in Tuesday’s 5-1 preseason win over Columbus, coach Lindy Ruff said.... Read the full article The post Sabres D Mattias Samuelsson...
Sabres to wear ‘Goathead’ third jersey 10 times, introduce ‘Hometown Remix’ alternate in 2026-27 season
The Buffalo Sabres will be wearing their black and red “Goathead” jersey 10 times and their new “Hometown Remix” jersey eight times during the upcoming season at KeyBank Center. The Sabres brought back their popular “Goathead” jersey, which they sported from 1996-97 to 2005-06, as their alternate in 2022. The “Hometown Remix” jersey, which celebrates the fans, city and local culture, according to the Sabres, will be unveiled at a later date. Each team will ... Read the full article The p...
Sabres lose Mattias Samuelsson, Olen Zellweger to injuries in preseason win
BUFFALO – Uh-oh. Tuesday’s 5-1 preseason win over the Columbus Blue Jackets’ junior varsity squad proved to be costly, as defensemen Mattias Samuelsson and Olen Zellweger both left the game with injuries. Samuelsson, 26, blocked Luca Pinelli’s shot 4:36 into the second period before leaving the game around the halfway mark. Coach Lindy Ruff said Samuelsson, the Sabres’ top shutdown defender, will be further evaluated today. Meanwhile, Ruff said Zellweger, 23, suffered a concussion when...
Before trade, Sabres’ Louis Crevier beat long odds and developed confidence to stick in NHL
BUFFALO – In his early days with the Chicago Blackhawks, Sabres newcomer Louis Crevier couldn’t settle down. He said he played too nervously, afraid he would make a mistake. “It was just mental,” the 6-foot-8, 236-pound defenseman said following Friday’s session of training camp in LECOM Harborcenter. So Crevier, who joined the Sabres on June 23 in the blockbuster trade that sent defenseman Bowen Byram to the Windy City, tackled his problem. By working closely ... Read the full article...
Sabres preseason: Buffalo to dress full NHL lineup versus Columbus; Jiri Kulich to keep playing
BUFFALO – With the exception of one goalie, the lineup the Sabres will dress for tonight’s preseason game against the Blue Jackets is likely the one they field for their season opener Oct. 1 in Columbus. With only four preseason games and veterans who have played 100 NHL games now limited to just two appearances, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff figured he would put his main group together tonight against the Blue Jackets’ B team. Among ... Read the full article The post Sabres preseason: Buffalo...
After long, trying recovery from broken kneecap, Sabres’ Justin Danforth happy to be playing again
BUFFALO – Sabres forward Justin Danforth listened to the question and let out a deep sigh. “Oh God,” he responded when asked about the most difficult part of the long rehab he endured after breaking his kneecap when he blocked a shot early last season. “It was a tough rehab.” Danforth, 33, experienced an arduous and frustrating recovery after getting injured just four games into his first season with the Sabres. “It just didn’t seem ... Read the full article The post After long, tryi...
Sabres preseason: Lindy Ruff will miss opener in Pittsburgh; Buffalo to field young lineup against Penguins
BUFFALO – Sabres coach Lindy Ruff will miss tonight’s preseason opener in Pittsburgh to attend a Celebration of Life ceremony for his former teammate, Brent Peterson, in Nashville. Sabres assistant coach Seth Appert will run the bench against the Penguins in Ruff’s absence. Peterson, who played four seasons with the Sabres in the 1980s, died Sept. 11 after a long battle with Parkinson’s. He was 68. Tonight’s lineup will mostly feature players ticketed for the ... Read the full article ...
Sabres’ Jiri Kulich thrilled to participate in scrimmage after battling blot clot: ‘It’s pretty special’
BUFFALO – Jiri Kulich couldn’t stop smiling. Who cares if it was just an intrasquad scrimmage a few days into training camp? For the first time in since Nov. 1 – 322 days, to be exact – the Czech forward played alongside his Sabres teammates. “It’s unreal,” an excited Kulich, who was sidelined by a blood clot last season, said following Saturday’s Blue and Gold scrimmage in KeyBank Center. “I can’t even describe the feeling. ... Read the full article The post Sabres’ Jiri Kulich thrilled t...
Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on Connor Hellebuyck trade rumors and sharing the net: ‘I want to be here’
BUFFALO – By now, eight years into his pro career, Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has grown accustomed to hearing his name in trade talk. The Finn earned the label as the Sabres’ goalie of the future in his teens before injuries, struggles and a goalie prospect named Devon Levi, who was traded July 1, took some of the shine off him. Over the years, rumors have swirled Luukkonen’s time in Buffalo could be ending. Fresh ... Read the full article The post Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Lu...
Sabres notes: Lindy Ruff, players have special night at Bills game
BUFFALO – Before he chatted with the media Thursday following the first sessions of training camp, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff joked to make it short because “a man’s got to tailgate.” Ruff and his team were heading to Orchard Park later in the day to watch the Bills and Detroit Lions play the first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium. So, did Ruff have some fun in the parking lot before the Bills’ memorable ... Read the full article The post Sabres notes: Lindy Ruff, players hav...
Sabres begin season confident they’re better than last year: ‘We’re not the old Sabres anymore’
BUFFALO – Confidence is powerful thing, center Tage Thompson said. Fresh off a breakout 50-win, 109-point campaign in which nearly every player improved or enjoyed a career season, the Sabres entered the summer feeling pretty darn good about themselves. Having grinded together for nine months and enjoyed so much success, the Sabres feel like they can tackle any challenge as a group this season. “We have a lot of that with our group right now,” ... Read the full article The post Sabres be...
Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen on start of season, different expectations, Connor Hellebuyck trade speculation and more
BUFFALO – In his remarks to the Sabres as training camp got underway Wednesday, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen stressed they must put last season’s breakout 50-win, 109-point season behind them. In winning the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division and ending their NHL-record 14-year playoff drought, the Sabres morphed into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and became the league’s darling. While it was all a blast – the 10-game win streak, the rollicking 39-9-5 run, the first postseason .....
Sabres notes: Eric Staal takes on new role as coach; Buffalo has early injuries
BUFFALO – In addition to his role as a special assistant to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, former Sabres center Eric Staal will now be doing on-ice work during the season, coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday. “He’s going to help us with centermen, and he’s going to help out on the power play,” Ruff said in LECOM Harborcenter, where the Sabres will hold their first on-ice sessions of training camp Thursday. “He’s basically an assistant coach, ... Read the full article The post Sabres notes: ...
Sabres injury updates: Jason Zucker could miss start of season after surgery
BUFFALO – Sabres winger Jason Zucker underwent offseason sports hernia surgery and could miss the first two weeks of the regular season, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Wednesday after players reported to training camp. “He’s very close to the start of the year,” Kekalainen said in LECOM Harborcenter. Meanwhile, Kekalainen said defenseman Louis Crevier, who arrived in the offseason trade that sent Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks, underwent shoulder surgery and will likely be .....
Sabres assign four prospects to junior; Rochester adds forward and goalie
The Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday assigned four prospects – defenseman David Bedkowski , goalie Samuel Meloche and forwards Dylan Dumont and Doman Szongoth – to their respective junior teams. All four participated in the Prospects Showcase games the Sabres played against the Boston Bruins on Sunday and Monday at LECOM Harborcenter. In other news, the Rochester Americans on Tuesday agreed to terms with forward Thomas Bordeleau and goalie Talyn Boyko one-year AHL contracts. The 5-foot-10, .....
Sabres sign Noah Ostlund to eight-year, $52.8 million contract
BUFFALO – Just 71 total NHL games were enough to convince the Sabres that center Noah Ostlund deserved a lucrative long-term contract. The Sabres on Monday signed the Swede to an eight-year, $52.8 million contract. That’s a $6.6 million average annual value for the 22-year-old, the 16th overall pick in 2022. “Awesome day for the organization,” Rochester Americans coach Mike Leone, who coached Ostlund in the AHL, said Monday following the Sabres’ 4-3 overtime loss ... Read the full article ...
QMJHL star Samuel Meloche becoming Sabres’ best goalie prospect
BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Samuel Meloche’s experience belies his age. Less than two months after turning 19, just two years into his major junior career, the goalie has played 101 regular-season games and 30 more in the playoffs. Since the start of the 2024-25 season, he has played more than any netminder in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Remember Meloche’s name. The constant action he earned backstopping the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies to back-to-back conference semifinal ... Read t...
Radim Mrtka headlines Buffalo Sabres’ Prospects Showcase roster
Defenseman Radim Mrtka , the ninth overall pick in 2025, headlines the Buffalo Sabres’ 22-man roster for the upcoming Prospects Showcase against the Boston Bruins at LECOM Harborcenter. The Sabres, who will hold their first practice this afternoon, host the Bruins at 5 p.m. Sunday and noon Monday. The roster released Thursday features 11 draft picks, nine invites and three players on AHL contracts. The Sabres drafted Matteo Costantini but signed him to an AHL ... Read the full article Th...
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