‘Fired up’ to be buyers, Sabres react to deadline pickups

Buying at the trade deadline is an unfamiliar concept for these current Buffalo Sabres, but they’ve earned some reinforcements; a five-game winning streak and 26-5-2 run has them tied for first in the Atlantic Division.

So, before Friday’s trade deadline, general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen deepened the roster by acquiring forward Sam Carrick from the Rangers and defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from the Jets. He also traded for Jets forward Tanner Pearson right before the 3 p.m. cutoff.

• Carrick trade: Full details
• Stanley and Schenn trade: Full details
• Pearson trade: Full details

“I'm super excited to have them as new teammates,” a grinning Rasmus Dahlin said after Friday’s practice. “I was on my phone watching highlights after the game when it got released (last night). I'm super fired up.”

“It’s way more exciting to be on this side of it than selling,” added fellow defenseman Mattias Samuelsson. “… To be honest, no one in this room really cares if we trade a pick or two, so it’s nice to get some new faces in here and some new energy. It’s fun. It’s good for morale, for sure.”

None of the new guys has arrived in Buffalo yet – Carrick could debut with the team Saturday against Nashville, Stanley and Schenn might not play until next week as they sort out their visas – but they had the locker room buzzing Friday. And each will offer some unique traits down the stretch.

Carrick has won 53.9 percent of his faceoffs this season, which now leads all Sabres centermen. Although the team has improved a bit at the dot lately, it still ranks last in the league at 45.0 percent, so the 34-year-old will provide a nice boost in bottom-six minutes and on the penalty kill – especially with Justin Danforth not close to returning from his broken kneecap.

“He’s really physical, he’s super tough, but he’s got a lot of polish to his game, so he’s a great add for us,” said Ryan McLeod, Carrick’s teammate in Edmonton for their 2024 run to the finals. “Just goes about his business, and he's a real, true pro. A lot of guys can learn from just having him around.”

Experience might be the No. 1 calling card for Schenn, a veteran of 1,118 regular season games, 58 playoff games and two Stanley Cup titles. Now the Sabres’ oldest player at 36, this is his 10th NHL team and sixth time being traded midseason, so he’s no stranger to being a stranger in the room. Regardless of his role, he’ll provide value come mid April.

“It gets physical and it gets hard,” coach Lindy Ruff said. “Unless you’ve lived [the playoffs] and been there, it’s hard to explain to a lot of players what it’s really like.”

Added the captain Dahlin: “(Schenn is) probably going to have a big voice in this locker room in these next few months. I'm very excited to talk to him, chat with him, learn some things. This is a perfect fit for us.”

Schenn figures to play bottom-pair minutes when in the lineup, as the top four of Dahlin, Samuelsson, Owen Power and Bowen Byram have been the strength of this team lately.

The same goes for Stanley, who brings a big frame (6-foot-7), big physicality (20 career fights) and a big shot. He’s scored a career-high nine goals this season, and his active style will fit in well with Buffalo’s offensively involved defensive corps, Ruff feels.

“Six-seven?,” asked the 6-foot-4 Samuelsson. “I’m just moving down the totem pole of the height thing, it seems like every couple months.”

With those six defensemen, plus Michael Kesselring, Zach Metsa and the currently rehabbing Conor Timmins, Buffalo has the blue-line depth it needs to lock down a playoff spot and go on a deep run.

“The fact is, we think we can do some damage, and we’ve proven in these last 40 games that we can play with the best,” Ruff said. “We can play good, consistent, winning hockey and just keep trying to get better from game to game. And on Jarmo’s part, he’s trying to make us better.”

Here are some notes from Friday’s practice.

Friday's practice lines

Alex Lyon had the starter's net, so he'll likely play Saturday against Nashville.

Otherwise, the Sabres kept their same lines from the last few wins.

Bryson to Winnipeg

For all the new faces about to enter the mix, the Sabres had to say goodbye to defenseman Jacob Bryson, who heads to Winnipeg along with Isak Rosen as part of the Stanley-Schenn return. Six seasons made Bryson one of the longest-tenured Sabres.

“Unbelievable human,” Samuelsson said. “One of my favorite teammates. Definitely sad to see him go. Just a vibes guy. I hope the best for him. I hope he tears it up there, and I know the room will miss him, for sure.”

'Big bunch of brothers'

Postgame Thursday, Josh Norris said this is “the most fun I’ve ever had playing hockey.” Ruff was asked Friday for his thoughts on that.

“I think when I took the job, I said I wanted them to love being a Buffalo Sabre and love playing hockey,” the coach responded. “… We’ve learned a lot as a group through adversity, and we’ve got a long ways to go. Just taking it a game at a time, but the group has really come together, and it’s a tribute to all those guys in the room.”

The Sabres are confident their new teammates will fit right into the group.

“We have a lot of great leaders in this locker room who are willing to welcome new guys,” Dahlin said. “So, we're just a big bunch of brothers that are welcoming anybody that wants to be a part of it.”

Extra protection

Kesselring has taken a beating this season with two lower-body injuries and pucks, sticks and fists to the face on a regular basis. Apparently, the first-year Buffalo defenseman is being a good sport about it, jokingly wearing an old-school face shield for practice.

Practice sound

Up next

The Sabres begin a five-game homestand Saturday at 5:30 p.m. versus the Nashville Predators. MSG’s pregame coverage starts at 5.

Get your tickets today.