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'"He's a physical player," Sabres director of player development Adam Mair said during Buffalo's development camp in July. "He competes hard, he defends well, but also he's got a really understated puck game. He's able to move the puck up the ice efficiently. Big body, right-hand shot [defenseman] that can do that, it was impressive this year."' … [Read more...] about Strbak, Sabres excited for next step in development at Michigan State

'“You transform the attitude of any of the club by having each player believe in what their strength is, what they can bring on a nightly basis, the level of compete that they can bring,” Ruff said. “And then at the end of the night, you’ve got to win hockey games, and when you win hockey games, that belief really becomes contagious. You like how you play and you push your … [Read more...] about Inside look at Buffalo Sabres

'General manager Kevyn Adams also revamped his bottom six. He acquired forward Ryan McLeod, who will likely slot in as the third-line center, in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers on July 5. McLeod brings speed that ranks in the 97th or better percentile and will help stabilize depth down the middle and on the penalty kill. He also added Beck Malenstyn from the Washington … [Read more...] about 3 questions facing Buffalo Sabres

'Thompson was limited to 71 of Buffalo’s 82 games because of injuries and took a huge step back in goals (29), assists (27) and points (56) compared to his breakout 2022-23 season (NHL career-high 47 goals, 47 assists, 94 points). But Thompson returned to his elite form down the stretch (21 points in final 18 games) and still brings a rare combination of size (6-foot-6) and a … [Read more...] about NHL EDGE stats for Buffalo Sabres

'Levi (6-foot, 192 pounds) was the Sabres’ starter on opening night after an impressive seven-game NHL stint out of college at the end of the 2022-23 season. He struggled over the first few months in Buffalo and was assigned to the American Hockey League in January.' … [Read more...] about Top prospects for Buffalo Sabres

'“It’s a tough league to win in," McLeod said, "and the margin of error is so small that those little things really do matter. And over 82 games, if you do it the right way, it’s going to balance out.”' … [Read more...] about McLeod aiming to bring winning attitude, experience to Sabres

'“That’s something you don’t see very often,” Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams said. “Just that production at that age is very unique. But there’s just a lot to like. He’s a very competitive player that’s got a skill set that we think will translate really well to the National Hockey League.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres impressed by Helenius’ competitive nature

'They could potentially add a top-six winger but believe they can rebound offensively internally. The Sabres are banking on bounce-back seasons from Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Dylan Cozens after each dropped off following career seasons in 2022-23 and for young forwards JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn and Zach Benson to take the next step.' … [Read more...] about Sabres add McLeod, Zucker seeking to end playoff drought in Ruff’s return as coach

'Skinner had 46 points (24 goals, 22 assists) in 74 games this season, a drop-off following an NHL career-high 82 points (35 goals, 47 assists) in 79 games in 2022-23. In 2021-22, he matched what was then a personal NHL best with 63 points (33 goals, 30 assists) in 80 games.' … [Read more...] about Skinner could be bought out by Sabres, GM Adams says

'"He's a very determined coach, very hungry, very smart," Cozens said Thursday from Budapest while preparing for the 2024 IIHF World Championship in Prague, Czechia. "He obviously means a lot to the city of Buffalo. He wants it really bad and so do we. I'm excited to see how he is as a coach. It's going to be fun."' … [Read more...] about Sabres ‘ready to get going’ for new coach Ruff

'“I'm super excited to be given the opportunity,” Ruff said Tuesday. “It's about taking a young group that has developed over the years … a team that has a tremendous amount of talent. It'll be my opportunity to put these guys in the right positions and use their strengths to get them to that next level."' … [Read more...] about Ruff ready to help Sabres end playoff drought in 2nd stint as coach

'"I would like to thank Don for his time in Buffalo and commitment to the Sabres organization," Adams said. "He has been integral in the development of many of our players and has undoubtedly been the right coach to bring us to where we are now, but I felt it was necessary to move in a different direction at this point in time. My expectation is to be a consistent contender and … [Read more...] about Granato fired as Sabres coach, no replacement named

'“In terms of our core, I believe in these guys,” Adams said. “I completely trust that this is a group of people that will get this right and want to make this team great and want to be here in Buffalo and believe in what we’re doing and hold themselves accountable. There’s many conversations through the year with some of the guys that … felt like they were letting the team … [Read more...] about Sabres GM confident core can help end playoff drought

'"These guys worked so hard for me," Comrie said. "It hasn’t been a great year for me, everyone knows that. I’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs this year, getting sent down and not winning for a long time. It was nice that my hard work and work ethic paid off. Whatever happens to me, it’s been an honor to play with these guys and an honor to be a Buffalo Sabre."' … [Read more...] about Kucherov gets 99th assist for Lightning in loss to Sabres

'"It was a hotly-contested game,'' Buffalo coach Don Granato said. "We had some opportunities, even in overtime. … We were not as sharp, and the consequence was we weren't as sharp with the puck and had to defend more. But we defended well, and that was key.''' … [Read more...] about Panthers keep pace in Atlantic, top Sabres in overtime