How will latest injuries impact Sabres?
I’m Lance lski the Sabers beat writer from the Buffalo News hockey is back well of course the All-Star game was played in Toronto over the weekend but the sabes are returning from their bi-week SL Allstar break they resume practice Sunday in key bang Center only six days after I broke the news that
Jack Quinn underwent surgery to repair a lower body injury that will keep the young Winger out for approximately 8 weeks another devast stating blow was dealt to this team on Sunday or whenever they learned the news that Matia samelson their shutdown top pair defenseman who’s often skating next to
Rasmus dollene is out for the season now Samuelson had been playing much better as of late in that shutdown role very good on the penalty kill skating next to Doan routinely much more consistent it’s been an up and down season for Samuelson he explained to me a few weeks ago in a
Story that you can read on online in the Buffalo News putting too much pressure on himself signed that seven-year contract last year and just too much in his head one negative play had been affecting him too much his play had really stabilized more recently had gotten more responsibility back had been
Playing the way that he was last year when he was at his best that game in Anaheim which is about two weeks ago at this point suffered an upper body injury didn’t miss any time in that game but he sat out the the wins over the Los Angeles Kings and the San
Jose Sharks before the sabes learn that Samuelson is going to need surgery it’s a very big hole for them to fill you could make a very strong case that they’re not going to be able to fill it at all you know this team has played much better with Samuelson out of the
Lineup this season their record is much much better than it was a year ago part of that is adding Connor cliff in and Eric Johnson and another big piece of that is other guys in this line have been able have been able to step up Owen power is starting to kill penalties
Rasmus doen the consistency hasn’t always been there this season two up and down um the power play has been a real problem from him of course but there’s more consistency across the board Henry Yoki haru’s been better they have more guys who are capable of playing that 20
Minutes a game you’re looking for from one of your top four defenseman so as we sit here on Sunday evenings still two days out from the Sab first game post break they host the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night in KeyBank Center you’re going to see a few different players
Take on more responsibility Henry okaru you might see him more on the penalty kill he skated in practice with Dalene again on Sunday that’s been a good pair you know they were they haven’t been together as often as fans may have may like or you know even the coaching staff
Would like because Henry Oki haru’s game like a lot of others on this team the consistency hasn’t been there you know Owen power was with Jacob Bryson we’ll see if that if that lasts Eric Johnson’s expected to be ready to play on Tuesday so we could see some some fluctuation
With the pairs a few changes but Conor Clifton’s another guy he’s been much much better the last approximately two months we could really trace it back to his return to Boston when since we’ve really started to see Conor Clifton play like the defenseman the Sabers were
Expecting to get when they signed him to a three-year contract in the summer he’s a right shot I am really curious to see if the Sabres try to get him in a higher role maybe perhaps next to Dolly and those two were together throughout training camp saw a lot of potential
They they seem to read off each other really well but it’s not aaring that we’ve seen much in the regular season right now I think that as they get out of their break they start to play games again continuity is going to be sort of the theme that Granado is going to lean
On it’s a lot easier for guys who are comfortable with each other who are custom with each other’s Tendencies to be out there especially when they’re facing top players Top Line so really this is a chance for Henry yoke Haru to show that he can be a consistent top
Four defenseman he’s going to have the opportunity there’s really nobody in Rochester right now that you could see is that that obvious candidate to be elevated to the NHL roster unless there’s an injury um with Eric Johnson coming back the Sabres are going to have what seven healthy defenseman perhaps
With Jacob Bryson Ryan Johnson’s another another player that we might see get some more ice time but this is a challenging situation for the sabes they gave Matia samon that seven-year contract prior to last season he’s been good when he’s on the ice it just it health has been a challenge for him
Consistently healthy of course his style of play is going to lend itself to some more bumps and bruises um so hopefully they’re going to be looking for this surgery to to cure some of what’s ailed him a bit but it is certainly an opportunity for the Sabers to see what
Owen power can do when he’s on the ice against top lines what can Connor Clifton do this is a chance for them to make perhaps showcase Eric Johnson a little bit more for a potential trade the pending UFA is going to be a name to
Watch as we get closer to the March 8th trade deadline the Sabres fall out of it Kevin Adams is going to be getting a lot of calls on Eric Johnson know Stanley Cup champion 35 years old almost a thousand games regular season experience oh mostly a third pair guy
Strictly a third pair guy in Buffalo this season but will they give him more ice time it’s not going to be an easy situation for the Sabers to handle they’ve got to deal with that of course I’m referring to the samelson injury but also the Quinn injury Zach Benson’s
Going to be asked to to skate in in the top six he immediately gets inserted in that Dylan cousins on that line with Dylan cousins and JJ petka taking Jack Quinn’s spot on the left wing so still two more days to go saber s the Stars on
Tuesday night we might get some clarity on who’s who’s going to be playing with with who what’s the penalty kill going to look like without Samuelson no matter what though we know it’s going to be a big hold for the Sabers to fill I’m Lance leasi with the Buffalo news thanks again
The Sabres lost defenseman Mattias Samuelsson to a season-ending injury.
