Sharpen Up: May 21, 2018

Memorial Day Weekend is coming up, but we already have two preseason dates for the Buffalo Sabres on the calendar.
The NHL announced on Friday that the Sabres and Blue Jackets will take part in the Kraft Hockeyville USA game on Sept. 25 in Clinton, N.Y. It was previously announced that the Sabres and Islanders will play a preseason game in Oshawa, Ontario on Sept. 29.
Here's what you need to know.

Hockeyville USA info

Clinton earned its designation as this year's most spirited hockey community in America, $150,000 in rink upgrades to Clinton Ice Arena and the opportunity to host the NHL matchup after amassing the most votes in the online Kraft Hockeyville USA 2018 contest.
"The Buffalo Sabres are excited to participate in this year's Kraft Hockeyville USA game," Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said. "Playing in front of Clinton's passionate hockey community in a rink like the ones many of our players grew up skating in will be a great experience for our players. We look forward to putting on a great show for the NHL fans of Central New York."
It marks the fourth time the Sabres have participated in the Hockeyville event, and the second time in the United States. They played Montreal in Roberval, Quebec in 2008, faced Ottawa in Dundas, Ontario in 2010, and took on Carolina in Marquette, Michigan in 2016.
Tickets to the preseason game are free and awarded to the winning community. Details on how to get tickets will be announced by the NHL in the coming months.

Pilut agrees to terms

Watch: Youtube Video
The Sabres have another defenseman in the system after agreeing with Swedish blue liner Lawrence Pilut on a two-year, entry-level contract.
Pilut led all Swedish Hockey League defensemen with 38 points (8+30) in 52 games for HV71 last season and was named the 2017-18 SHL Defenseman of the Year. He also ranked fifth in the league in assists and 13th in points.
A native of Tingsryd, Sweden, Pilut recorded 71 points (15+56) in 191 career SHL games, all for HV71. He also represented Sweden at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he scored two goals and added two assists in eight games.

World Championship wraps up

Johan Larsson helped Sweden to its second-consecutive gold medal with a 3-2 shootout win over Switzerland on Sunday. Gustav Nyquist and Mika Zibanejad scored goals for Sweden while Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Filip Forsberg tallied in the shootout.

Larsson finished the tournament with one assist in 10 games. This is his second gold medal at an IIHF event, having previously won gold at the World Junior Championship in 2012.
Meanwhile, Ryan O'Reilly came up short in his bid for a medal as Canada lost 4-1 to the United States in the bronze medal game on Sunday. Nick Bonino scored a power-play goal for Team USA to break a 1-1 tie with 6:39 remaining in regulation.
O'Reilly tallied one shot in 17:54 and ends his tournament having scored four goals in 10 games, tied for third on the team.

Remembering Sebastian

Sebastian Bradley formed a special bond with the Sabres - both those on the ice and behind the scenes. He will be greatly missed, but he will continue to have a strong, positive impact on the community for years to come thanks Sebastian's Lego Club.
Jack Eichel wrote a touching tribute on his Instagram account that is worth reading.