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Sabres Recall Kale Clague, Move Jeff Skinner To IR

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5:30 PM: The Sabres have sent Clague back to the AHL after the defenseman served as a healthy scratch for the team’s Monday win over the San Jose Sharks.

9:00 AM: The Sabres have recalled defenseman Kale Clague from AHL Rochester, per a team announcement. To create the necessary space on the active roster, the team moved star winger Jeff Skinner to injured reserve, according to CapFriendly.

The latter move is purely for roster management purposes and does not change Skinner’s recovery timeline. He remains listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Clague’s recall comes after defenseman Mattias Samuelsson took an elbow to the head from Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek early in the second period of Saturday’s 1-0 loss. Samuelsson did not return to the game and is likely out for this afternoon’s contest against the Sharks.

The 25-year-old Clague isn’t projected to dress against San Jose, but he does provide some needed defensive depth on the NHL roster. Buffalo lost multiple defenders to injury at points during the loss to Vancouver, namely Connor Clifton and Rasmus Dahlin. At one point during the contest, after Dahlin and Samuelsson had both exited the contest to go into concussion protocol due to separate hits to the head, veteran blueliner Erik Johnson was ineligible to play for five minutes after fighting Canucks center J.T. Miller, whose hit knocked Dahlin out of the game. That gave the Sabres only three available defensemen for a stretch, leading depth forward Zemgus Girgensons to play some shifts on the blue line. Head coach Don Granato confirmed both Clifton and Dahlin are cleared to play in today’s contest against the Sharks, although Samuelsson will remain out.

Clague, a second-round pick of the Kings in 2016, re-joined the Sabres on a one-year deal a few days after becoming a UFA in July. It was his second straight season without receiving a qualifying offer, which allowed the Sabres to sign him to a new deal at a slightly discounted cap hit. He’s in his second season in the Sabres organization after spending the first five seasons of his pro career with the Kings and Canadiens.

This is his first recall of 2023-24 after clearing waivers at the end of training camp. The puck-moving blueliner leads Rochester defensemen in assists (15) and points (17) this year in 31 games. It’s the most minor-league action he’s seen since he played 49 games with AHL Ontario in 2019-20.

In 33 games with the Sabres last year, Clague posted four assists while averaging 15:06 per game, all coming at even strength. He posted the best possession metrics of his career in a decent sample, per Hockey Reference – a 52.7% Corsi share, 50% expected goals for, and a +0.1 expected rating at even strength, to be exact. If he can replicate those, there are much worse options to have as an injury fill-in.

NHL Names Eastern Conference All-Stars

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Sportsnet is reporting that the NHL has named the first 16 selections from the Eastern Conference. These players will appear in the NHL All-Star Game that will take place February 3rd in Toronto.

The game will be held in Canada for the first time since 2012 when it was held in Ottawa. Toronto hasn’t hosted the game since 2000 and it will be highlighted by Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews who was named alongside 15 other Eastern Conference players.

The league names one player to represent each team at the game, all of whom will be named this evening. After which the final 12 players will be decided by a fan vote on NHL.com as well as several of the NHL’s social media platforms.

The initial Eastern Conference players are as follows:

Atlantic Division

Boston: RW David Pastrnak (3rd appearance)
Buffalo: D Rasmus Dahlin  (1st appearance)
Detroit: RW Alex DeBrincat (1st appearance)
Florida: C Sam Reinhart (1st appearance)
Montreal: C Nick Suzuki (3rd appearance)
Ottawa: LW Brady Tkachuk (4th appearance)
Tampa Bay: RW Nikita Kucherov (5th appearance)
Toronto: C Auston Matthews (3rd appearance)

Metropolitan Division

Carolina: F Sebastian Aho (1st appearance)
Columbus: C Boone Jenner (1st appearance)
New Jersey: C Jack Hughes (3rd appearance)
NY Islanders: C Mathew Barzal (1st appearance)
NY Rangers: G Igor Shesterkin (2nd appearance)
Philadelphia: C Travis Konecny (1st appearance)
Pittsburgh: C Sidney Crosby (6th appearance)
Washington: LW Tom Wilson (1st appearance)

The first 16 Western Conference all-stars will be named during the first intermission of tonight’s matchup between the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

More to come…

Atlantic Notes: Quinn, Dahlin, Bussi

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Buffalo Hockey Beat’s Bill Hoppe reports that injured Sabres forward Jack Quinn was at Sabres practice today as a full participant, shedding his non-contact jersey for a full-contact one. This is extremely encouraging news for the Sabres, as Quinn has yet to play this season due to recovery from offseason surgery to repair a torn Achilles. Last month, Quinn returned to practice in full pads and now he’s back as a full participant, indicating that he’s on schedule (if not ahead of schedule) to return to the Sabres’ lineup sometime around January 1st.

The Sabres could surely use the services of Quinn, a 22-year-old 2020 top-ten draft pick. After a breakout season in his first year as a pro with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, Quinn had an impressive NHL rookie season in 2022-23. He scored 14 goals and 37 points in 75 games, a performance that earned him a spot on Team Canada at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championships. He scored seven points in 10 games at the tournament, including with two crucial goals in the quarterfinals and semifinals, to help Canada take home a gold medal. Now he appears to be nearing a return with his club team, potentially providing a spark to a Sabres squad that has disappointed so far this season.

Some other notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • Hoppe relays word from Sabres coach Don Granato who revealed that superstar defenseman Rasmus Dahlin could possibly play tomorrow when the Sabres host the Montreal Canadiens. Dahlin is currently day-to-day with an injury, and if he can return he’d instantly give the Sabres a massive boost. The 23-year-old 2018 first-overall pick has scored 21 points in 26 games this season and is widely considered to be one of the best defensemen in the NHL.
  • The Boston Bruins have reassigned netminder Brandon Bussi to their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. Bussi, 25, is the Bruins’ AHL starter but had been recalled to the NHL to back up Linus Ullmark for yesterday’s game against the Sabres, as expected backup Jeremy Swayman was sick. With Swayman expected to be ready to return to the lineup for the Bruins’ next game, Bussi’s services are no longer needed at the NHL level. He’ll resume his role as the number-one guy in Providence, which is a role he’s thus far excelled in as he made the AHL All-Rookie team last season with a .924 save percentage.

Atlantic Notes: Chabot, Kastelic, Compher, Dahlin

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The Senators have once again had a disappointing start to a season, sitting with a .500 record through 20 games and ranking seventh in the Atlantic Division points-percentage-wise. Things are about to get even tougher for them, as head coach D.J. Smith confirmed star defenseman Thomas Chabot will miss a second straight game tonight as he continues to undergo testing on a leg injury, with Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relaying the team expects him to once again be out long-term. Chabot had played two games after returning from a right-hand fracture before exiting the lineup once again.

Garrioch clarified that Ottawa should issue a more comprehensive update on Chabot’s status by tomorrow morning. The 26-year-old has been limited to nine games this year, still managing to average over 24 minutes per contest and logging four assists. He’s been a positive possession force and is a crucial minute-muncher for the Sens, now averaging over 24 minutes per game for the sixth consecutive season. He has five seasons remaining (including this one) on an eight-year, $64MM extension signed in 2019.

More from around the Atlantic Division:

  • In slightly more positive injury news for the Senators, Garrioch also reports that forward Mark Kastelic is continuing his recovery from an ankle injury and skated today in a non-contact jersey. Kastelic is listed as week-to-week and has missed 11 games with a high ankle sprain sustained on November 2 against the Kings. The 24-year-old remains on long-term injured reserve and is eligible to return anytime. He has no points in nine games this season and has averaged just 6:55 per game.
  • Red Wings forward J.T. Compher is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and won’t play tonight against the Sharks, head coach Derek Lalonde said. Compher has lived up to his billing so far in Hockeytown after signing a five-year, $25.5MM pact when free agency opened last July that was criticized by some at the time. Through 24 games, Compher is tied for fourth on the team in points with 19 and has held down the second-line center position well, averaging 18:52 per game behind Dylan Larkin. His possession numbers have seen a significant dip, however, posting a career-low Corsi share of 44.3% at even strength. He was expected to center a line between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane in the latter’s Red Wings debut tonight, but that role will instead go to 23-year-old Joe Veleno, who has six goals and three assists in 24 games.
  • Rasmus Dahlin has been dealing with a lower-body injury over the past few days but hasn’t missed any game time for the Sabres. That may change tonight, as the superstar defender did not participate in morning skate and is questionable for tonight’s contest against the Bruins, according to Lance Lysowki of The Buffalo News. The 23-year-old has struggled in his last three outings (as has the rest of the team), posting one goal and a -6 rating. Dahlin, who has 21 points in 26 games and is second on the team in scoring, isn’t likely to miss an extended period of time.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Buffalo Sabres

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As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Buffalo Sabres.

Who are the Sabres thankful for?

Rasmus Dahlin.

The Sabres raised a lot of eyebrows when they signed the 23-year-old to an eight-year $88MM contract extension back in October that made him one of the highest-paid defensemen in NHL history. The signing made sense from Dahlin’s perspective as he cashed in on a career year and became one of the highest paid players in the league.

From the Sabres perspective, there were a few question marks. Dahlin has never finished above eighth place in Norris Trophy voting and has only garnered consideration one time. However, the Sabres bet on Dahlin’s continued development going forward and are hoping he will turn into a perennial Norris Trophy contender throughout the life of the deal.

A month after signing the deal, Dahlin has given the Sabres everything they could ask for. He has averaged almost 25 minutes a night of ice time, playing in all situations. He has been terrific for the Sabres at even strength, while remaining a threat on the power play and has even worked on the penalty kill, putting up solid numbers in the process.

Dahlin has really demonstrated his value to Buffalo while center Tage Thompson has been out of action. The Sabres desperately needed someone to step up in Thompson’s absence and so far, Dahlin has been one of the leaders to fill the void. In Sunday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks Dahlin had a goal and two assists and was pivotal in the Sabres ending their three-game losing streak

Dahlin posted 73 points in 78 games last season while averaging almost 26 minutes a night in ice time, this season his numbers thus far are almost identical. He is averaging about a minute less of ice time per game, but offensively he is on pace to come close to last season’s totals. Dahlin has four goals and 12 assists in the first 19 games of the season and has been much more physical and has also been more responsible with the puck than in seasons past.

What are the Sabres thankful for?

Their fanbase.

Buffalo sports fans are some of the most enduring fans in the world. You don’t lose four Super Bowls in a row without learning a thing or two about remaining passionate in the face of adversity. But still, credit to the fans of the Buffalo Sabres for still turning up in droves year after year to see a team that hasn’t made the Stanley Cup playoffs for 12 straight years.

Some people will point to the Sabres attendance this year and say that their numbers are down (which they are), but for the most part, the fans are still turning up in person to watch a team that hasn’t given them anything to cheer about for over a decade. The Sabres crowds might be smaller than in years past, but the crowd is still loud and passionate and firmly behind the team.

It will be interesting to see what the attendance numbers look like for the remainder of the season as Buffalo came into this year with playoff aspirations and thus far hasn’t looked like a playoff team. The Sabres have started the year 8-9-2 and if their season starts to go sideways, they could see more nights where there are over 5,000 empty seats in the KeyBank Center like we saw a few weeks ago.

What would the Sabres be even more thankful for?

A solution to their three-goalie situation.

The Sabres have been rolling this season with three goaltenders which hasn’t been an ideal set of circumstances for a team that needs help in the goal-scoring department. The Sabres have been unable to bring up any of their scoring prospects from the AHL because of the roster spot being occupied by the third goaltender. And make no mistake, Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen are both recent first-round picks that could both help the Sabres with their scoring woes.

The three-goalie situation also hasn’t been great for all the goaltenders involved either. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been solid thus far for Buffalo going 4-3-1 with a .911 save percentage, but Eric Comrie has been uneven going 1-2 with an .898 save percentage. While all those numbers are pretty run-of-the-mill, poor Devon Levi has struggled to gain any traction with a 3-4-1 record and a .879 save percentage.

The solution to the situation would likely be unpopular in Buffalo, but it would be the most practical. One goaltender needs to be sent to the minors and given their contract situations it would most likely be Levi as he is exempt from waivers and could be sent down without the risk of the Sabres losing him. Luukkonen and Comrie could be sent down to the AHL, but they would likely be claimed by another team should Buffalo elect to do that.

Levi doesn’t exactly deserve a demotion, but given Buffalo’s struggle to score, his contract situation and play, it would be the most pragmatic move that Buffalo could make.

What should be on the Sabres holiday wish list?

An offensive forward.

As I mentioned before, the Sabres need to score more, and an offensive-minded forward would go a long way to adding some punch to their offensive attack. The Sabres do boast a fair amount of young offensively gifted players, but many of them are just learning the pro hockey game and have yet to find the consistency that Buffalo needs to get back to the playoffs.

The Sabres have been tied to hometown boy Patrick Kane, and while Kane certainly has the offensive pedigree, he is a bit of an unknown given the situation with his hip recovery. If he could regain some of the form he showed in Chicago just two years ago, Kane could be a solution to Buffalo’s problems, but it would be asking a lot from a player who is coming off major surgery.

The fact that Buffalo is in on Kane is an indication that they would like to add a high-end offensive forward which should be encouraging to Sabres fans. If Buffalo can find space to bring up one of their young scoring forwards from the AHL and find an offensively talented forward from outside the organization, they might be able to finally optimize their offense.

Sabres To Start Year With Three Goalies

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The Buffalo Sabres, fresh off signing Rasmus Dahlin to an eight-year extension, are preparing their opening night lineup to start the season later this week. Based on what Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News is reporting, it appears the Sabres plan to start the season with three goaltenders on their NHL roster. At least for the time being.

The Sabres reportedly don’t feel confident that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is ready to take over the backup role full-time. This means that the club is likely to keep veteran Eric Comrie on their NHL roster as insurance just in case they need to give starter Devon Levi some nights off and Luukkonen isn’t up to the task.

Levi is expected to start the bulk of the games in October for the Sabres, and while carrying three goalies will limit the Sabres flexibility should they need to call up forwards and defenseman, the team feels that Comrie offers them more consistency at this point than Luukkonen does, but lacks the upside that Luukkonen offers the team long term.

It’s a delicate predicament for Buffalo as they are hoping to take a big step this season and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2011. The Sabres want to win now, and Comrie offers them a better shot at that, but Luukkonen has played just one less pro game than the 28-year-old Comrie, and at 24 years of age Luukkonen hasn’t come close to reaching the potential that made him a second-round pick in 2017. Statistically, both men have very similar NHL numbers as they both sport a career .897 save percentage and a goals-against average above 3.30.

The three-goalie solution can’t be the Sabres long-term solution as eventually they will have to add a forward or defenseman and will need to move a goalie off the NHL roster to do so. How they solve that problem will be interesting to see as they could find a trade partner or subject a goalie to waivers and demote them to the AHL. This would create another logjam as the Sabres currently employ Dustin Tokarski and Devin Cooley on two-way contracts for the Rochester Americans.

Sabres Sign Rasmus Dahlin To Eight-Year Deal

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The Buffalo Sabres kicked off the week by announcing a highly anticipated eight-year extension with star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. The long-term deal will begin in the 2024-25 season and will carry run until 2032. The Sabres have now locked up a core piece of their back end through the bulk of his prime as Dahlin will be 32 years old when this extension expires. Early indications are that the deal will carry an $11MM AAV.

The $88MM extension will be tied for the second-highest cap hit among defensemen with Los Angeles Kings defender Drew Doughty. Their salary cap hits trail only Erik Karlsson and his $11.5MM price tag. It’s a big price to pay for the Sabres as it puts Dahlin into another salary stratosphere alongside two defensemen who have arguably failed to live up to their large salaries. The key difference between Doughty/Karlsson and Dahlin is that the Sabres are locking up the 23-year-old through his entire prime. While Doughty and Karlsson are still terrific players, they were paid largely for past performances.

Dahlin had a career year last season posting 15 goals and 58 assists in 78 games all while logging 25:48 of ice time a night. He finished fifth among NHL defensemen with 73 points, one of the highest scoring rankings ever by a Sabres defenseman. On the defensive side of things, the 2018 first-overall pick finished second on the Sabres in hits and led the team in blocked shots, a testament to his improved defensive capabilities that finally seem to be catching up to his elite offensive ability.

Many skeptics will point to the $11MM AAV and call the deal an overpay for the Sabres, and at first glance, it does seem steep. The closest comparable to Dahlin’s deal would be Charlie McAvoy’s eight-year deal with a $9.5MM cap hit that was signed in October 2021, or the eight-year deal that Mikhail Sergachev signed in July 2022 that carries an $8.5MM cap number. Those deals, while both massive bargains today, were signed at a time when the offensive upside of both players was more of an unknown. Prior to signing his eight-year deal, Sergachev had topped 40 points only once in his career, while McAvoy had never topped 32 points when he signed his long-term extension. Dahlin is in a different category as he has averaged well over 40 points a season and is now rounding into form defensively.

Critics might also point to Jake Sanderson’s recent extension for $8MM per year with the Ottawa Senators, but again the context is important to understand Dahlin’s deal. Sanderson has one season of NHL experience, while Dahlin has five. Sanderson posted 32 points last season, while Dahlin has routinely posted over 40 points a season. Dahlin’s contract is also buying out more unrestricted free-agent seasons, which typically cost more than restricted free-agent seasons.

With Dahlin’s long-rumored extension finally complete, Dahlin now joins Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson, and fellow defenseman Mattias Samuelsson – all of whom signed long-term extensions since the start of last season. The Sabres are expected to compete for a playoff spot this season as they finally emerge from a long rebuild.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Sabres Notes: Savoie, Dahlin and Power, Quinn

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In a recent interview, Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said that Matthew Savoie is considered week-to-week with a left shoulder injury. This timeline puts Savoie at risk of missing the entirety of training camp, although Adams did mention there’s a chance that Savoie will be back before camp closes.

Either way, this is a tough blow for a player that many felt could break into the NHL lineup. Buffalo drafted Savoie ninth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. As an encore to his strong draft year, Savoie put up 38 goals and 95 points in 62 WHL games last season, adding an additional 29 points in 19 playoff games. His regular season scoring ranked seventh in the league in total points and sixth in points per game. Now 19, there’s reason to question whether Savoie would benefit from another year in the WHL. To this end, the Sabres tried to petition the juniors league to provide Savoie with the same CHL exemption that Shane Wright recently received, although Buffalo isn’t optimistic that Savoie will receive it. With injury holding him out of the bulk of camp, it will be interesting to see where Savoie ends up this season.

Other Sabres Notes:

  • Adams also spoke to the intensifying contract negotiations the team is having with star defenders Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski recently shared that Buffalo may have Dahlin inked to a long-term extension before the regular season begins, although the negotiations with Power seem to be a new development. The former first-overall pick will become a free agent next summer, although Buffalo will have exclusive negotiation rights as Power hasn’t accrued enough games to earn full RFA status. That certainly gives the team a leg up in talks, something that could be helpful, as Lysowski mentions the likelihood of Power signing a bridge deal to make room for Dahlin’s extension.
  • Adams also provided an update on Jack Quinn’s injury status, sharing that the winger is progressing well from his rehab but there is still a lot of work to be done before he’s fully back to action. Quinn ruptured his Achilles tendon and underwent surgery in June of this year. He was listed as being out for four to six months following the surgery, so it seems Quinn is progressing as expected. Quinn scored 14 goals and 37 points in 75 games last season, his rookie year in the NHL.

East Notes: Dahlin, Matheson, Levi

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TSN Hockey’s Chris Johnston said on the most recent ’Off the Post’ podcast that he fully expects Rasmus Dahlin to sign an eight-year contract extension. Johnston said that both sides have made positive strides towards finding the star’s next contract and that they may even have a deal in place before training camp. There’s no doubt that Dahlin’s next contract will likely come with a hefty cap hit – something that Johnston says Buffalo will likely try to offset by signing Owen Power to a cheap and short bridge contract when he’s an RFA next summer.

Dahlin is coming off a tremendous season, where he recorded 15 goals and 73 points in 78 games. His scoring ranked seventh among all defenders in points and points-per-games and marked career-highs in goals, assists, and points. Dahlin has confidently taken control of the Sabres top defender role and is still only 23. A long-term extension will likely take him through his prime and learning what that cap hit will look like is something the Sabres are surely eager to find out.

More from the East:

East Notes: Dahlin, Necas, Keane

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There has been recent speculation that the Sabres and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin are nearing an agreement on a contract extension.  On the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that there is a bit of work still to be done but that all sides involved think that there is a deal to be done with a belief that it could be done by the opening of training camp.  The 23-year-old is coming off a breakout year that saw him record 15 goals and 58 assists in 78 games while averaging just shy of 26 minutes a night.  He has one year left on his current deal at a $6MM cap hit and coming off the year he just had, it seems likely that Dahlin could approach the $10MM mark (if not a bit more) to lock in a max-term eight-year extension now.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Hurricanes forward Martin Necas is entering the final year of his contract this season and thus is eligible to sign a contract extension. However, he recently told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that there have been no discussions yet about a possible new deal.  The 24-year-old took a significant step forward last season, posting career highs across the board with 28 goals, 43 assists, 71 points, 240 shots, and an ATOI of 18:25 per night.  Signed for a $3MM AAV this season, Necas’ next deal could very well double that amount or more if he’s able to have a similar offensive showing in 2023-24.
  • Still with Carolina, prospect defenseman Joey Keane has signed a one-year deal with Spartak of the KHL, per a team announcement. The 24-year-old had a good first season in Russia, picking up 24 points in 64 games last year.  Keane has a pair of NHL games under his belt with the Hurricanes who retain his RFA rights through the 2026-27 campaign.  If he takes a step forward this year, he could play his way back into the mix for a spot in North America.

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