The Sabres sent Dennis Gilbert back to AHL Rochester on Tuesday after a short but productive run in Buffalo.
Gilbert, 30, had been up for a little over two weeks and appeared in five games for the Sabres. Even in limited minutes - 9:55 per night on average - he managed to chip in a goal and an assist. That keeps his NHL resume rolling, too: he’s now played in the league in five straight seasons and eight of the last nine, with 124 games overall.
There’s a timing wrinkle attached to the move. Gilbert has been on Buffalo’s roster for 18 days, which means he can stay there for only 11 more before he becomes waiver-eligible again. He cleared waivers unclaimed during training camp.
Around the league, Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov was hit with a $5,000 fine by the Department of Player Safety for a roughing incident in Saturday’s game against Chicago. That’s the maximum allowed under the CBA, and Zadorov was assessed 14 penalty minutes on the play. The fine will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund, and it marks his fourth fine in the last two-and-a-half years.
The Maple Leafs also made a roster move, returning defenseman Cole McWard to AHL Toronto after veteran Chris Tanev rejoined the lineup Saturday. David Alter of The Hockey News reported the transaction.
McWard, 25, had been recalled a little more than a week ago when Nick Blankenburg and Marshall Rifai went on IR, but he never got into a game. It’s his first season with Toronto after signing as a Group Six free agent, and he has three assists in five games with the Marlies.
The Mammoth announced a recall of winger Ben McCartney from AHL Tucson, though he did not dress today against Philadelphia and instead served as the extra forward. McCartney, 25, has only two NHL games on his ledger, both with Arizona in 2021-22. He’s been productive with the Roadrunners this season, posting four goals and ten assists in 11 games.
In Other News...
Lindy Ruff Backed What Tage Thompson Did Late In Buffalo's Win
Late in the third period against the Kings, Tage Thompson made a choice the Sabres have come to appreciate from their core players: he stepped in after a heavy hit on Peyton Krebs and wound up taking a roughing penalty for his trouble. It was the kind of moment that can swing a game the wrong way if the response gets out of hand, but Buffalos bench viewed it as part of the identity Lindy Ruff wants his team to keep building.
Ruff backed Thompson afterward, framing the play as a teammate standing up for a teammate rather than a mistake to be second-guessed. The Sabres handled the ensuing pressure and finished off the win, which only sharpened the significance of the sequence, even if the exact late-game scramble around the penalty is the part that still hangs in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Can Test Whether Ottawas Hot Offense Hides A Bigger Problem
Ottawas Western swing opens with a useful early test of whether its scoring surge can keep carrying the load while the rest of the roster sorts itself out. The Senators have leaned on Tim Sttzle and Drake Batherson to drive the offense, and that has given them a real chance to build momentum despite a stretch marked by injuries and uneven play on the back end.
The concern, though, is whether the hot start is masking a larger issue as the trip rolls through Anaheim, Buffalo and Utah. Defensive stability has been hard to find, and the lineup picture remains unsettled with several key pieces banged up, leaving Ottawa to prove it can win in a way that travels before the road trip gets much deeper. [Read more 🡒]