Eastern Conference teams are still juggling bodies early in the season, and the list of unavailable or banged-up players keeps growing across the conference.
In Buffalo, Rasmus Dahlin won’t even get on the road trip with the Sabres to open it. Coach Lindy Ruff said the defenseman is day-to-day.
Montreal may have a shorter wait than originally feared on Ivan Demidov. Sources say the Canadiens forward’s foot injury could land closer to the two-week mark than the four-week mark. The team announced on October 6th that the timeline was 2-4 weeks.
The Canadiens also had Florian Xhekaj back on the ice yesterday, but only for a few minutes.
In Detroit, J.T. Compher is getting closer, though it still isn’t clear whether he’ll be available tonight. The Red Wings also had Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton out of practice.
Florida got a scare when Jacob Markstrom was pulled from yesterday’s game, but coach Paul Maurice said, “he just tightened up, so we pulled him. We don’t think…there’s no injury there…Just standard stuff.”
On Long Island, Mathew Barzal is still working his way back. Coach Pete DeBoer said Barzal skated again yesterday and is skating harder every day.
He added, “We’ll keep crossing our fingers.” Defenseman Adam Pelech had a maintenance day yesterday, but he is expected to play tonight.
Ottawa is waiting on a couple of key blue-liners, too. Coach Travis Green said Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson are getting close, but neither will play tonight. Nikolas Matinpalo left last night’s game with an upper-body injury.
Pittsburgh placed Trevor van Riemsdyk on injured reserve, while Justin Brazeau skated on his own yesterday and is not traveling with the team.
New Jersey moved Connor Brown to injured reserve retroactive to September 28th.
Toronto is still unsure about Chris Tanev. Coach Jim Hiller said he doesn’t know how long Tanev will be out, and when asked about the injury, he said, “I’m not going to get into any of that.” Tanev was placed on injured reserve retroactive to October 10th.
In Washington, the Capitals put Rasmus Sandin on long-term injured reserve. That lets them exceed the cap by $3.85 million, and after recalling Justin Holl, they have $3.1 million in space.
In Other News...
Sabres Nearly Stole A Point Despite A Growing Problem
Even with Rasmus Dahlin out injured and Matt Grzelcyk on injured reserve, the Sabres found a way to push Montreal all the way to a shootout. Olen Zellweger gave Buffalo a jolt with two goals, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 35 shots, and a game that could have slipped away turned into a night where the Sabres were close enough to steal a point.
The bigger concern, though, is how often Buffalo is having to patch together its blue line just to stay afloat. The Canadiens took control in the second period before the Sabres battled back to force overtime, but the defensive absences have become hard to ignore, especially with another roster move needed to cover the gap and keep the group functional. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Injury Uncertainty Is Starting To Put Real Pressure On Buffalo
The Sabres early-season juggling act got a little more complicated this week, with head coach Lindy Ruff offering no significant update on Rasmus Dahlin after the defensemans upper-body injury. Buffalo has already had to lean on lineup changes throughout its 3-3-1 start, and the absence of one of its most important blue-line pieces only adds to the uncertainty around a team still trying to settle in.
The injury list is not easing up, either. Goalie Alex Lyon has hit a slight setback and will be off the ice for a few days, while Tyson Kozak has been sent back to Buffalo for further evaluation, leaving the Sabres to keep adjusting on the fly as the schedule moves on. For a club that has been trying to build some rhythm, the constant shuffling is starting to feel like more than just a short-term inconvenience. [Read more 🡒]
Devon Levi's Fast Start Is Making Buffalo's Goalie Problem Worse
Devon Levis move out of Buffalo already looks like the kind of change of scenery that can reset a young goalies career. After struggling with the Sabres, the former Buffalo prospect has opened his run with Edmonton on a strong note, giving the Oilers some early stability while reminding everyone why his long-term upside was so intriguing in the first place.
For the Sabres, it only sharpens the pressure on a position that has lingered as a problem. Buffalo has kept searching for answers in net, and the ongoing trade chatter around Connor Hellebuyck underscores how unsettled the situation still feels as the team tries to find a more reliable solution. [Read more 🡒]