The Sabres are waiting on a better answer from Matt Grzelcyk, and right now they don’t have one.
Buffalo brought in the veteran defenseman on a one-year deal to help patch things up on the back end after injuries hit early in the season. But Grzelcyk has barely been available. He played once, then landed on the shelf with a lower-body injury nearly five weeks ago, and the recovery has stalled.
Head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters including Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald that the Sabres are “in a bit of a holding pattern” with Grzelcyk. The injury has not really improved, and the club is now hoping the current treatment plan works.
If it doesn’t, Buffalo may need to take another route. That could include surgery, which would keep Grzelcyk out even longer after all the time he has already missed.
Around the Atlantic Division, the Panthers had their own injury issues on Tuesday. Center Anton Lundell sat out against Washington with an undisclosed injury, though the absence does not sound like a long-term one. Team broadcaster Doug Plagens said Lundell is day-to-day.
Lundell has had a quieter start offensively this season than he did a year ago, when he posted 44 points in 64 games. Through 16 games this season, he has four goals and two assists. Even so, he remains an important part of Florida’s penalty kill, which entered the day performing well above the league average.
Florida also lost winger Sandis Vilmanis during the game and announced he would not return after taking a boarding hit from Washington’s Tom Wilson. Wilson was assessed a major and a game misconduct on the play.
Vilmanis had been rolling before the injury, piling up five points over his previous two games. He now has seven points in 16 games this season.
Montreal, meanwhile, will be without Josh Anderson tonight against Toronto for personal reasons. The 32-year-old winger is second on the Canadiens with seven goals, and he has done real damage against the Leafs over the years, scoring 17 times in 41 career games against them. Owen Beck is set to slide into Anderson’s spot in the lineup.
In Other News...
Sabres Trade Buzz Just Put Detroits Real Motive Under Spotlight
Kris Drapers presence at multiple Sabres games this season has only added to the sense that Detroit is keeping a close eye on Buffalo while it sorts through its own roster decisions. The Red Wings assistant GM was in attendance for Buffalos 5-2 win over Columbus and has also been around other Sabres matchups, with the scouting focus believed to include Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson.
For Buffalo, the intrigue is obvious because the Sabres have shown interest in Larkin, even as reports say he has not widened his preferred trade list beyond 10 teams. Detroit, meanwhile, is still exploring possibilities and has another layer to consider with Edvinsson, whose contract situation could shape how aggressively the Red Wings pursue any deal. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Decisions Vs Vegas Put Two Familiar Names On Notice
The Sabres skated at KeyBank Center on the eve of their matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights, and the morning practice offered a pretty clear hint about how Lindy Ruff is leaning. Buffalo appears set to keep the same lines it used in its previous game, which leaves a couple of familiar names in an uncomfortable spot as the lineup takes shape for a tough Western Conference test.
Ryan McLeod and Louis Crevier were the players most likely to be left out if Ruff sticks with that approach, while Colten Ellis is expected to get the start in goal as Buffalo continues its two-goalie rotation with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Alex Lyon is also moving closer to a return, which adds another layer to a crease situation that is already worth watching as the Sabres try to settle things down in net. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Expose A Blue Jackets Problem That Could Keep Growing
The Blue Jackets trip to Buffalo offered another reminder of how fragile the early part of a road swing can be when a team is still trying to find its footing. Columbus dropped a 5-2 decision to the Sabres in the second half of a back-to-back, with Kent Johnson and Zach Werenski providing the offense for the visitors while Buffalo got a big night from Josh Norris and a playmaking boost from Owen Power.
For a team already dealing with the grind of travel and quick turnarounds, the concern is less about one loss than the pattern forming around it. Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness, along with Charlie Coyle and Mathieu Olivier, all addressed the teams issues in road games and back-to-backs, and the challenge now is whether Columbus can stop those problems from becoming a defining trait instead of a temporary rough patch. [Read more 🡒]