Mattias Samuelsson’s status for Thursday’s season opener in Columbus is trending in the right direction, and the Sabres may need to make a roster move just to get through the first week.
The injured defenseman, who was hurt blocking a shot last week, skated on his own Tuesday and could join practice with Buffalo today, coach Lindy Ruff said. Samuelsson, the Sabres’ top shutdown defender, has been on injured reserve since Monday after initially being labeled week to week.
“Very close,” Ruff said after Tuesday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “I mean, that’s the good news for us, for sure.”
If Samuelsson can’t go against the Blue Jackets, Ruff said he expects him back soon.
Buffalo’s depth on the blue line is already being tested. The Sabres have only six defensemen on their 23-man roster, and Ruff said he wants seven available by Thursday. That could mean a recall from the Rochester Americans if Samuelsson or another defenseman is unable to play.
Olen Zellweger is also in the mix as a question mark after suffering a concussion shortly after Samuelsson was injured against Columbus. He did not practice Tuesday and has been skating on his own. Ruff called him day to day.
Conor Timmins is another concern. The defenseman went into the boards late in Saturday’s preseason finale against Pittsburgh and finished the game, but Ruff said tests Sunday morning showed a lower-body injury. Buffalo does not have a timetable for his return.
The injury list also includes goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, though Tuesday brought some encouragement there. He practiced after leaving Saturday’s game with a lower-body tweak, and he said the exit was only a precaution.
“Just didn’t want to make anything worse kind of thing,” he said. “Just a little tweak there one play there. Just felt it, and just wanted to give myself a chance to be ready when the season starts.”
Ruff sounded optimistic about Luukkonen’s progress.
“We’ll see what tomorrow brings, but he had a good day today,” Ruff said.
Alex Lyon, who appeared to hurt his left shoulder in Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit, is also moving in the right direction. Ruff said he’s “doing good” and added, “I would anticipate within days that’ll he’ll be back out there.”
There was some good news up front, too. Jiri Kulich and Conor Sheary both returned to practice Tuesday after dealing with injuries. Kulich has been managing a lower-body issue over the last four or five days, Ruff said, while Sheary may be headed to Rochester in the near future.
“(Kulich) struggled with a little lower-body issue this last four, five days but felt good today, so he’s in a better place,” Ruff said.
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