The Buffalo Sabres’ blue line took a hit on back-to-back fronts, and with the regular season just over a week away, the team is suddenly staring at some early lineup uncertainty.
Mattias Samuelsson will be out week-to-week after suffering a lower-body injury, the Sabres announced today. He left Buffalo’s 5-1 preseason win over the Columbus Blue Jackets last night after blocking a shot. That makes Samuelsson’s status one of the biggest storylines around the team heading into the opening stretch of 2026-27, especially with the 26-year-old expected to skate on the top pairing with franchise centerpiece Rasmus Dahlin.
Samuelsson’s absence matters because he’s not just another defenseman in the rotation. He’s one of Buffalo’s top blueliners, and last season he delivered a career-best offensive line with 13 goals and 41 points while handling major penalty-kill duties. His two-way play helped fuel Buffalo’s huge second-half push, a run that ended the league’s longest playoff drought and carried the club to within one overtime goal of the Eastern Conference Final.
The Sabres also got another scare on the left side when Olen Zellweger left yesterday’s game with an upper-body injury. Buffalo said today that Zellweger has entered concussion protocol. Lindy Ruff said Zellweger was already feeling better today than he had the night of the injury, calling that progress “very encouraging.”
There’s still a chance Zellweger could be ready for the start of the regular season, but if he and Samuelsson both miss time, Buffalo may need to lean on depth options like Ryan Johnson or Dennis Gilbert to open the year.
In Detroit, Todd McLellan said Dylan Larkin is moving in the right direction after the upper-body injury he suffered before training camp. McLellan told the media today, including Michael Whitaker of The Hockey News, that Larkin has made “progress” and that while he won’t play in the preseason game against the Sabres tomorrow, he could get back on the ice Saturday for the Red Wings’ preseason finale against the Blue Jackets.
Larkin, 30, remains Detroit’s No. 1 center. He also has an outstanding request to be traded from the team, though it has not been fulfilled. A career Red Wing, Larkin was previously the club’s captain before losing that role after the trade request.
In Other News...
Simon Edvinsson Contract Talks Put Early Focus On Red Wings Camp
With camp opening, the Red Wings have one of their most important young defensemen in the building while his next contract remains a central talking point. Simon Edvinsson is taking part in training camp, and for now Detroit is getting the benefit of having him around as the team sorts through what comes next for a player who has become a key part of the blue-line picture.
The bigger issue is the shape of the deal itself, with discussions continuing and the stakes pointing well beyond a short-term solution. A long-term contract would carry major financial weight for Detroit, and the sides are still working through a path that reflects Edvinssons role and future value without making the process any simpler for a team trying to settle its roster early. [Read more 🡒]
Larkins Return Puts One Red Wings Decision Back In Focus
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Larkins return also pushes one lingering organizational question back into view. Detroit had previously removed him as captain, but the club has said he could still remain with the team for the entire season, leaving his status as one of the more notable unresolved decisions around the roster as camp continues. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Pettersson Buzz Comes With One Massive Catch
Elias Pettersson keeps surfacing in trade chatter as NHL insiders poke around what Vancouver might do next, and Frank Seravalli has added more fuel by casting doubt on the Canucks forward finishing his current run there. For Detroit fans, the intrigue is obvious: a player of Petterssons talent would instantly change the conversation around the roster, and his name has already been tossed into broader speculation that also includes Minnesota and Dallas.
The catch is the kind that makes this more theory than blueprint for now. Petterssons recent play has made his market harder to pin down, and his contract situation only complicates matters further, especially with a no-movement clause in the mix. Any real path for the Red Wings would need to clear another major hurdle first, so for the moment this remains a reminder of how quickly a big-name rumor can run into practical limits. [Read more 🡒]