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With Olen Zellweger out, Sabres could recall defenseman for opener
BUFFALO – Mattias Samuelsson practiced Wednesday and could play in tonight’s season opener in Columbus. Meanwhile, newcomer Olen Zellweger missed the session and won’t face the Blue Jackets, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. With only six defensemen – Samuelsson is on injured reserve, while Zellweger is on the 23-man roster despite having recently suffered a concussion – Ruff said the Sabres could recall another one before tonight’s contest. Update: The Sabres this morning recalled defenseman ...
Mattias Samuelsson might be ready for opener; Sabres make roster move
BUFFALO – Injured Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson could play in Thursday’s season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Samuelsson, who suffered a lower-body injury blocking a shot in the second preseason game, skated on his own Tuesday and could practice with the Sabres on Wednesday, coach Lindy Ruff said. If the Sabres’ top shutdown defender can’t play in Columbus, Ruff expects him to return in the near future. “Very close,” Ruff said of Samuelsson’s status ... Read the full...
Sabres waive forward for assignment to Rochester
BUFFALO – The Sabres this afternoon placed winger Conor Sheary on waivers and will assign him to the Rochester Americans if he clears, the team announced. Sheary, 34, returned to practice today after suffering an upper-body injury last week. Update: Sheary has cleared. The Sabres brought back Sheary, who spent 2018-19 and most of 2019-20 in Buffalo, during the offseason, signing him to a one-year, one-way contract worth $850,000. Sheary, who won the Stanley Cup ... Read the full arti...
Mattias Samuelsson might be ready for opener; Sabres could make roster move
BUFFALO – Injured Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson could play in Thursday’s season opener in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. Samuelsson, who suffered a lower-body injury blocking a shot last week, skated on his own Tuesday and could practice with the Sabres Wednesday, coach Lindy Ruff said. If Samuelsson, the Sabres’ top shutdown defender, can’t play Thursday, Ruff expects him to return in the near future. “Very close,” Ruff said of Samuelsson’s status following Tuesday’s practi...
Sabres’ initial 2026-27 roster has goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon
The Buffalo Sabres’ initial 23-man roster for the 2026-27 season released Monday features three goalies, six defensemen and 14 forwards. Goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon and defenseman Olen Zellweger, all of whom suffered injuries in preseason games last week, are listed on the roster. One rookie, forward Konsta Helenius, made the team. The Sabres reached the 23-man limit by placing six players, including defensemen Mattias Samuelsson, who is week to week after suffering a .....
After losing defensemen to injury, Matt Grzelcyk’s signing gives Sabres boost
BUFFALO – The Sabres wasted no time getting newcomer Matt Grzelcyk acclimated. Without the benefit of a practice or pregame skate, they threw the defenseman into the lineup for their preseason finale. Grzelcyk, who on Friday signed a one-year, $850,000 contract, looked comfortable throughout Saturday afternoon’s 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, skating 16 minutes, 48 seconds, mostly alongside Conor Timmins. “It almost helped, honestly, just having no pregame skate, nothing – just go ri...
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 .....
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