Joshua Norris Returns to Sabres’ Top Line: Can He Finally Stay on the Ice?
The Buffalo Sabres are getting a key piece back tonight - and not just any piece, but one they’ve barely had a chance to use. Center Joshua Norris is set to return to the lineup against the Winnipeg Jets, head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed ahead of the game. To activate Norris from injured reserve, the team will need to make a corresponding roster move.
For Norris, this marks the end of another frustrating stretch on the sidelines. The 26-year-old has been out since suffering an upper-body injury during a faceoff late in Buffalo’s season opener - a setback that kept him off the ice for nearly two months. It’s the latest in a string of injuries that have limited his availability since arriving in Buffalo.
Norris was acquired from Ottawa in the Dylan Cozens trade, a move the Sabres hoped would solidify their center depth. But since that deal, Norris has suited up for just four of a possible 46 games. Last season, he was shut down just a week after joining the team with a mid-body injury that ended his campaign before it really started.
Now, he’s being thrown right back into the fire - centering the Sabres’ top line between Zach Benson and Tage Thompson. That trio was originally slated to open the season together, but Benson missed the first three games after taking a puck to the face in practice. So tonight will be the first time Buffalo fans get a look at that combination in action.
If Norris can stay healthy the rest of the way, he’d finish the season with 58 games played - which, remarkably, would rank among the most durable campaigns of his career. He’s only topped the 60-game mark once, back in 2021-22 during his breakout 35-goal season with the Senators.
Since then, shoulder issues have significantly hampered his availability. He was limited to just eight games in 2022-23 and hovered around the 50-game mark in each of the next two seasons before Ottawa moved on.
But when Norris is right, the talent is undeniable. The Sharks saw it when they took him 19th overall in the 2019 draft, and the Senators banked on it when they made him a key part of their forward group.
He’s logged nearly 18 minutes a night over 240 career games, with a scoring pace that projects to 31 goals and 54 points over a full 82-game season. That’s top-six production - exactly what Buffalo has been missing down the middle.
The Sabres’ offense has struggled to find consistency this season, and they’ve spent much of the year in the league’s bottom half in scoring. Norris’ return won’t fix everything overnight, but if he can stay on the ice, he gives Buffalo a legitimate weapon at center - and a chance to finally see what this roster looks like at full strength.
It’s a big “if,” but the upside is real. Now it’s just a matter of keeping him on the ice long enough to deliver it.