‘But given the supreme chemistry Skinner shares with captain Jack Eichel and how much he seems to like the organization and Buffalo, it seems highly unlikely the Sabres will deal him.’
The Sabres Report - February 22, 2019
Sabres recall Danny O’Regan, Scott Wilson, send Lawrence Pilut down ★
‘Meanwhile, Wilson, 26, has scored three goals and seven points in 17 AHL outings this season. The Sabres sent Wilson down in January so he could receive game action after recovering from a broken ankle that sidelined him three months.’
Sabres place Kyle Okposo on IR; demote Pilut to AHL ★
‘Okposo is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with his third concussion in less than three years. The 30-year-old was felled by a punch to the face during a fight with New York Islanders defenseman Tony DeAngelo in a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Feb. 15.’
Sabres call up O'Regan, Wilson; assign Pilut to Rochester ★
‘O’Regan has had a pretty good season with the Amerks this season with 18 goals and 34 points in all 53 games played. The 25-year-old is fourth in overall team scoring this season, and tied for third on the team in goals. He was also on pace to set a career-high in goals through 76 games this season.’
Larkin: Strongly believe the Sabres 'need to pay Jeff Skinner whatever he wants' ★
‘”He may finish second in the NHL in goals. The Sabres have a lot of cap space, so he’ll have a lot of leverage but Skinner has to know there’s a cap on his value. If the asking price is $7.5 to $8 million dollars, the Sabres have to meet that demand. If he asks for around $10 million dollars, then yes, that might be a point where you have to move on.”‘
Sabres recall O'Regan, Wilson from Amerks ★
‘In corresponding moves, forward Kyle Okposo has been placed on injured reserve and defenseman Lawrence Pilut has been assigned to Rochester.’
Saturday's Rochester Coverage ★
ELIE EMBRACING FRESH START WITH AMERKS (Amerks.com)
JOHANSSON UNDERGOES SEASON-ENDING SURGERY (Amerks.com)
For once, Sabres put in the effort even if they don't get the reward ★
‘It’s the kind of hockey that would produce plenty of points against lesser opponents, but it’s a style the Sabres rarely seem to find. Perhaps the fear of embarrassment by Tampa’s legion of superstars is a motivator that doesn’t exist against other teams.’
Sabres Notebook: Evan Rodrigues gets the call on Jack Eichel's line ★
‘”He can make such incredible plays that you can’t ever be shocked by the things he does,” Rodrigues said. “One thing that’s overlooked is that he’s such a dynamic player that you actually try to get away from him on the ice, let him do his thing one on one. Pull guys away from him. When he gets a guy 1 on 1, there’s few centers or defensemen that can stop him. You try to find open areas, the weak side of the ice, and be prepared for what he’s capable of doing.”‘
The Wraparound: Lightning 2, Sabres 1 SO ★
‘With the loss, the Sabres (28-24-8) dropped their fourth straight game (0-3-1) while Tampa Bay won its eighth in a row. The Lightning have not lost in regulation in February, going 10-0-2. They improved to 47-11-4, pushing their NHL-leading point total to 98. They are on pace for 129, which would be three shy of Detroit’s 1995-96 record of 132.’