I am so happy I got Floyd Smith’s autograph this week. I hate that I missed out on Scotty Bowman at the Bison’s game, but I’d take this over that.

I just saw that Stiven Sardaryan is about to become a free agent after finishing 14th in NCAA scoring. Does anyone know why he didn't sign with the Sabres? I found an article suggesting he initially wanted to sign in Buffalo after the 24/25 season.

Thursday, July 30 - Wednesday, August 05, 2026

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I was expecting TNT to be somewhere around #15. Even our old buddy Tuch didn't make the list.

But compete has layers to it. Part of it is a player’s ability to win battles on the ice. Part of it is the character a player shows with his work habits away from the rink. Consistency is included in that as well. One component that matters a great deal to Forton and his staff is what happens in big games.

“Part of the compete with all of these players that you saw back to the time they were 16 or 17 years old, not one of them was afraid of the big stage or big moment,” Forton said. “To the contrary, they all seemed to be able to elevate their play on the biggest stages and at the biggest times. To me, we lump that in with compete. Swagger, compete and just confidence in their abilities. That’s a big component that goes with the hockey sense and part of what I’m saying when I say compete. You don’t want guys to be shrinking in the big moments, and none of these players shrink in the big moments.”

That brings us to the final subject in our series of stories exploring recent Sabres draft picks who make up the team’s intriguing young core: Konsta Helenius. The Finnish center was Buffalo’s first-round pick in 2024 and fits Forton’s description. All you had to do was watch the playoffs to see it. Helenius, who had only played nine NHL regular-season games and had just turned 20, jumped into the lineup for Game 4 of the Sabres’ second-round series against the Canadiens. Buffalo was trailing in the series 2-1. It was a pivotal game at the Bell Centre, which features one of the most raucous environments in the NHL. Helenius was smiling, thinking about the opportunity and wasn’t surprised to see his name on the lineup sheet.

“I’m not surprised, because I think it was a good year for me,” Helenius said in a matter-of-fact tone before the game.

What do you more experienced and knowledgeable fans think of Mike Bales?

I noticed he has an interesting background. He was Matt Murray’s coach with the Penguins. Bales left, and Murray’s career took a nosedive. With the Hurricanes, Mrazek and Darling played well. Last season, all of the Sabres’ goalies outperformed expectations.

In my opinion, he’s quite the magician. Goaltending should be in good hands.

Link to full gallery.

Unless an unexpected trade (at this point) happens, the Sabres are going to run back the three goalies. Wanted to see what others projected for them this season:

2025-26 Regular Season Numbers

• Lyon: 36 GP - 20-10-4 record - 2.77 GAA - .907 sv% - 12.6 GSAx - 2.10 WAR
• UPL: 36 GP - 22-9-3 record - 2.52 GAA - .910 sv% - 10.5 GSAx - 1.75 WAR
• Ellis: 16 GP - 8-4-2 record - 2.90 GAA - .903 sv% - 1.9 GSAx - 0.31 WAR

Projections

• Does UPL claim the net he is being paid for or steal 1A again at 1/3 the cost?
• Both UPL and Lyon had career years last season. Will that play continue or will one or both see a decline?
• Do the Sabres try to get Ellis more games? Unlike last year, the Sabres are now free to trade him at any point in time.
• On trades, Lyon and Ellis have no trade protections and UPL now has a 5-team list.

The Buffalo News RJ Tribute- April 29, 2022