Quinn taking care of 'unfinished business' with Amerks

Don Granato has had countless conversations with players regarding roster decisions during his nearly three decades of coaching. His chat with Jack Quinn at the end of training camp stands out.
The Sabres assigned Quinn to Rochester on Oct. 7, just a week ahead of the regular-season opener. Granato and general manager Kevyn Adams met with Quinn to deliver the news, which was particularly difficult given how highly they thought of his effort at camp.
Granato relayed Quinn's reaction to the media on Monday, hours after the 20-year-old forward was named AHL Rookie of the Month for October.

"He looked at both of us and he said, 'I'm OK with going down in one sense: I played below the standard I believe I can play in the American League and I feel like I need to go back there and prove to myself that I can play better in that league,'" Granato told reporters in San Jose.
"… His immediate response was, 'I still have some unfinished business down there.' That's [how] he went down there looking at that. That's exactly why we drafted him and picked him and why we enjoy having him in our organization. He's like a homing torpedo."
Quinn has 10 points (5+5) through six games this season, which leads the Amerks and ranks fourth among all AHL players. He has already surpassed his season-long total from 2020-21, when he tallied nine points (2+7) in 15 contests.

The Sabres selected Quinn with the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He was eligible to play in Rochester as a 19-year-old due to the cancellation of the OHL season.
"His work ethic and his daily habits, they've always been good," Amerks coach Seth Appert told reporters Monday. "It's taken another notch now. He's really embracing being a pro. He's embracing coming to the rink and finding ways to try to get one, two, five-percent better at different areas of his game on and off the ice every day.
"So, his attention to detail and his habits are extremely high. That usually leads to confidence. And then you combine those two things together with how hard he plays and it's leading to success on the ice."

Monday's practice

The Sabres skated at SAP Center in San Jose in preparation for their game against the Sharks on Tuesday. Cody Eakin (upper body) practiced without the non-contact jersey he wore during the team's practices in Los Angeles over the weekeend and could be nearing a return from his five-game absence.
"We did some pretty good compete drills, especially at the end, and he battled," Granato said. "So, it's his tolerance now. Nothing medically that anybody can give him advice on. He just has to feel comfortable and he's going to take another morning skate to figure that out."
Victor Olofsson left the practice early with what Granato referred to as a soft-tissue injury. Granato said he expects Olofsson, who leads the team with five goals, to play Tuesday.