SabresBeat

'Wideman decided not to attend this year's draft. He will play another season with the Knights.' … [Read more...] about Sabres crown Knights' pair

'Paille, one of the most solid hitters available in the draft, was rated 17th in the mid-season rankings by Central Scouting but was inconsistent at times this season, notably in the early going when he started to hear talk of his draft ranking and let it affect his play.' … [Read more...] about Paille anxious for draft

'The former Welland Cougars centre, who netted 57 points in 64 regular season games with Guelph last season, earned praise by NHLCentral Scouting. On the report list on www.nhl.com Paille is considered a strong skater with impressive speed, a solid two-way player with natural offensive instincts with very good puckhandling and passing skills.' … [Read more...] about A dream come true

'The Sabres were happy to essentially swap Kozlov for Hecht, who is younger, healthier, bigger and cheaper.' … [Read more...] about Sabres make moves on draft's first day

'Buffalo's scouting department, however, had him rated 10th overall.' … [Read more...] about Pick gives Ballard no time to snack

'"I thought I'd go between 20 and 30 or 20 and 40," Ballard said.' … [Read more...] about Ballard surprised by selection, 11th overall

'Ballard, who was rated 19th among North American skater by the NHL Central Scouting Service, had 10 goals and 13 assists for the Gophers last season. Like Erickson, he plans to return to school and defend the national championship.' … [Read more...] about Wild find a Gopher they like

'Hecht has offensive skills, but he didn't bring them to work often enough, especially down the stretch when Edmonton was scrambling to make the playoffs.' … [Read more...] about Round 2 prizes for Oilers via Hecht trade

'To wit: They are the conduit to contraction. If the other 29 owners agreed to pony up the $150 million and fold the franchise, all debts could be settled, the doors closed, and a draft held to divvy up the talent in the Sabres system. Could there be a bigger bargaining chip to bring to the table with the Players' Association than a franchise that just went lights … [Read more...] about Double-edged sword with Sabres

'Kozlov, 30, went to Buffalo in Detroit's deal for Dominik Hasek last offseason, but was lost for the season on Dec. 29 when his left Achilles tendon was sliced by a skate. "We've talked to the doctors and everything is fine now," Waddell said.' … [Read more...] about Thrashers keep pick, add veteran

'In the process, Buffalo shed Kozlov's $2.35 million salary, while Hecht will make $575,000 next season..."Let's face it, there are economics," Sabres GM Darcy Regier said. "Another factor was the likelihood of having to deal Kozlov at next year's trading deadline, or risk losing him to free agency. I'm a lot more comfortable with the … [Read more...] about Sabres trades overshadow first-round selections

'Atlanta also acquired Buffalo's 41st overall pick in the draft in exchange for the 31st and 82nd selections.' … [Read more...] about Thrashers acquire Kozlov from Sabres

'Paille jumped three spots to finish the season as NHL Central Scouting's 12th-ranked North American prospect. The runner-up as best body checker in the Ontario Hockey League's Western Conference, the 6-foot, 200-pounder has been likened to Boston Bruins' prospect Andy Hilbert.' … [Read more...] about Sabres trade for 20th pick, take LW Paille

'Ballard was ranked just 19th among North American prospects by NHL Central Scouting after helping Minnesota capture the NCAA championships as a freshman. Slightly undersized at 5-11 and 196 pounds, Ballard is an offensive-minded defenseman who had 22 goals and 29 assists in 56 games with Omaha of the U.S. Hockey League in 2000-01.' … [Read more...] about Sabres take D Ballard with 11th overall pick

'The move is seen as the first step toward the sale of the Sabres. It does not, however, appear to be the first step toward the sale of the Sabres to Paul Allen and a move to Portland. Although the timing is interesting, given the City Council's likely approval next week of an incentive deal requested by Trail Blazers executives and designed to make Portland more … [Read more...] about Sabres look to stay put