Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550/WBEN) - The hits just keep coming when it comes to injuries and sickness for the Buffalo Sabres.
After Monday's practice in Buffalo, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said that winger Jiri Kulich is likely to be out long-term due to a blood clot.
"Jiri is going to miss significant time, and it’s related to a blood clot that was found," said Ruff on Monday. "I’m not going to go into any further details, but it’s pretty serious."
Kulich has already missed three games due to this. This season in 12 games, the 21-year-old has three goals and two assists for five points. This likely explains why he just hasn’t been himself lately on the ice.
The news also isn’t good for winger Jason Zucker. He, too, has missed three games and is still very sick, according to Ruff.
"It’s a real severe viral, flu-like thing he hasn’t been able to shake. He’s undergone a lot of tests and still isn’t doing that well," Ruff said.
Ruff had hoped to have winger Zach Benson back on the ice with them, but he wasn’t able to practice on Monday. It's still to be determined whether or not Benson will join the Sabres on their three-game road trip this week.
"We’re going to discuss that whether it’s better to come or stay back and keep undergoing treatment," Ruff said.
Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson got another maintenance day and didn’t practice on Monday. He has, by far, been Buffalo’s best defenseman this season, and Ruff knows how much he has stepped up in a big way.
"Really since Day 1, Samuelsson’s play has been very good," Ruff said. "His penalty killing has been outstanding, his physicality has been good. He is a guy that has to step up, and I thought he did step up [Saturday in Carolina].
"Coming into camp, coming in the shape he came in and just ready to play, he’s been a difference maker for us."
Whether with Rasmus Dahlin or Michael Kesselring, Bo Byram has had a rough start to the season. Byram played so poorly on Saturday against the Hurricanes, Ruff teamed him with Conor Timmins in Monday's practice.
"They had a tough night, there’s no denying it," the head coach said. "I thought their puck play wasn’t very good, breaking the puck out, they struggled. That hurt us. I thought that was the one pair where we needed to step up, and they just made individual mistakes breaking the puck out that really hurt them."
Ruff was happy to hear that Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, who is in Sweden visiting his fiancée as she recovers from a heart transplant, skated with his old club Frölunda HC to try to stay in shape.
Ruff also mentioned Monday that goalie Colten Ellis will get his second NHL start during this road trip.
The Sabres left on Monday for Utah, and will practice in Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
MONDAY LINES:
Forwards:
Thompson - McLeod - Tuch
Rosen - Ostlund - Quinn
Dunne - Krebs - Malenstyn
Greenway - Kozak - Doan
Defense:
Byram - Timmins
Bryson - Kesselring
Jones - Power
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