‘”Casey, just seeing him here today, I think he’s taken a big step,” Botterill said at FanFest. “He’s taken the summer very seriously. … He faced some adversity last year. We challenged him a little bit about some of his conditioning in the summer. I think he’s really done that extremely well. I think it’s always that first or second year, that’s where good players take that jump.”‘
The Sabres Report - August 25, 2019
The Sabres Report - August 23, 2019
Dilemma with RFAs has NHL locked up with lots of decisions still coming ★
‘”It is the unknown,” admitted Sabres General Manager Jason Botterill. “You look at the fact the cap maybe didn’t go up as much as some teams expected or probably the industry expected and it made it tighter. You look at the fact these are significant contracts and as much as it’s a difficult process going through salary arbitration, at least we get our players signed and at least we know a month going into camp we have our guys signed up.”‘
Former Sabres captain Mike Ramsey enjoying life away from hockey ★
‘“I wasn’t burned out,” said Ramsey, who was quick to note he still loves hockey. “It’s just the coaches now, they put in hours, and if you have a family, you don’t see your kids go to school and come home from school. You don’t, so it was just time.”’
Sabres Dahlin tells AP he’s better prepared for 2nd season ★
‘“I feel more prepared. I feel more mature,” said Dahlin, who turned 19 in April. “Like that one year of experience, I know what’s coming this season. I feel more comfortable in my position.”’
The Sabres Report - August 22, 2019
10 storylines to watch as Sabres prepare for training camp to open ★
‘Krueger will need to install the type of sound defensive structure the Sabres lacked during Phil Housley’s tenure as coach. Training camp will provide at least a few clues as to how Buffalo will try to protect its own net in 2019-20.’
The Sabres Report - August 21, 2019
Sabres Mailbag: Will Rasmus Ristolainen remain in Buffalo? ★
‘General Manager Jason Botterill won’t pull the trigger on a trade unless he gets the package he wants in return. That seems unlikely to materialize anytime soon, though the season doesn’t start for another six weeks. The league’s salary cap has led to some significant late-summer transactions in recent years, most recently San Jose acquiring defenseman Erik Karlsson from Ottawa last September.’
Hutton helps young athletes train like a pro ★
‘“I was fortunate enough, my parents worked hard. We didn’t come from a ton of money by any means, but they spent a lot of money so I could play hockey. Goalie equipment and things like that aren’t cheap. I look at the doors that opened for me in sports and the things I’ve learned, so it’s a great event where you can come out and help a great charity that helps a lot of kids.”’
Former Sabre Pominville still would like to come back ★
‘Pominville is back in Buffalo and working out at Harborcenter with a handful of guys that include Rasmus Dahlin. Pominville said it’s day-by-day, “I definitely would like to play, I’ve kept myself ready, skated and worked out and so I still enjoy playing, but I don’t know if I’d go anywhere to be honest, so if it’s the right opportunity, I’d like to play.”’
The Sabres Report - August 20, 2019
Botterill: Sabres trying to put Ristolainen 'in positions to have success' ★
‘”We’re continuing to try to set this team up where we’re putting ‘Risto’ in positions to have success,” Botterill continued. “Yeah, he wants to win. We also want to put him in a situation where he plays very well, and that’s what we’ve tried to do with some of the acquisitions, add depth to our defence, add competition to our defence.”‘
Sabres new coach Ralph Krueger is still listening to the fans ★
‘Before Kruger got the job as head coach of the Sabres, he walked around town for two days. He watched playoff hockey in bars talking to fans that had no idea who he was. On Saturday, he got another chance to interact with fans at Fan Fest and he said, “It keeps getting confirmed over and over again from my first walks in the city and today I got a deeper understanding of the fan base because I was able to communicate. We had the season ticket holders coming through the locker-room and I could speak individually with them and it’s good to listen to them.”‘