Buffalo Sabres Injury Update: When Will they Catch a Break?
By Paul Taylor
Fans could be forgiven for despairing, as the return of Evander Kane coincided with the latest Buffalo Sabres injury update that Tyler Ennis has undergone groin surgery.
We recently wrote about how it’s possible the narrative for the Buffalo Sabres‘ season has already been set. Every time things seem to be going well, something goes wrong, and vice versa.
However, recent events have either seen this narrative become more prevalent or change completely, depending on your perspective. All related to injuries, let’s look at the last few days so you decide what you think:
Good news
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Evander Kane made his return to action on Wednesday night, in the 2-1 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators. The controversial winger was thrown right back into the thick of things, seeing 22:09 of ice time.
Kane didn’t have the most memorable of games — to be expected after his long layoff — finishing with two shots, two hits and two penalty minutes. However, playing on a line with Kyle Okposo and Sam Reinhart can only benefit him.
Bad news
Tyler Ennis underwent groin surgery on Thursday morning and will be out for several weeks. This is the last thing he — or indeed the team — needed, after he played in just 23 games last season.
Speaking to Am Moritz of The Buffalo News, Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said: “He’s been struggling with it, but it got worse the last few days/games to the point where in the Boston game I pulled him from the third period.”
Sort of good news
I got the opportunity to speak to Jack Eichel on Thursday, and he confirmed he was finally back on the ice that morning. However, he’s still likely weeks away from returning to action.
As Eichel told me: “It’s a case of not pushing too much at the moment – one day the ankle can feel fine, the next, it doesn’t. I just have to trust the doctors and do what they say.”
Sort of bad news
Ryan O’Reilly did not play on Wednesday night against the Senators, due to an undisclosed injury. Bylsma confirmed on Thursday that the center is day-to-day.
Along with O’Reilly, Dmitry Kulikov also missed practice on Thursday. The Sabres’ coach said Kulikov is also day-to-day, once again not disclosing details of the injury.
Okay, I give up
Nicolas Deslauriers is still out with a knee injury. Bylsma advised it will be another two weeks before an update is available in respect of the winger’s progress.
Sabres’ fans already know about Zach Bogosian sustaining a sprained MCL on Tuesday night, but is still important to mention. Bylsma has confirmed Bogosian will be out for weeks, due to the injury.
Overall
In light of all the above, there’s no denying the Sabres have had more than their fair share of injuries, especially so early in the season. In that respect, they must be relieved that they are still within two points of a playoff spot (again appreciating that the campaign is only a month old).
Understandably, fans will be hoping their team can stay competitive, until some of their injured players — especially Eichel — return. If they do so, you have to feel good about their chances of challenging for the postseason.
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As a Sabres fan, how are you feeling right now? Are you confident they can persevere through this spate of injuries and sustain a challenge for the playoffs, or are you concerned about their chances? Let us know in the comments section below.