Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Sabres came out of the NHL All-Star break with some bad injury news.
Mattias Samuelsson will have surgery on an upper-body injury and be out for the season. The 23-year-old defenseman finished the game in Anaheim on Jan. 23 against the Ducks, but didn’t play in the final two games of the California road trip.
Sabres head coach Don Granato mentioned they already have played games without Samuelsson this season. He's played in 41 of Buffalo’s 49 games.
"We’ve had a number of games without him, and a year ago, we were very challenged without Mattias. But now they’ve grown," said Granato following Sunday's practice. "Ryan Johnson has come in and done a really nice job, so when Mattias has been out, we’ve been able to shore that area up. The biggest challenge has been the injuries up front.
"I do think the defensive group will rise, because I feel we’re in a better position to handle these injuries than we were a month ago. These guys are in a better mindset, their psyche is better, and I ask, 'Are the other guys ready to seize this opportunity?' And I feel we have guys in a better position to do that."
Meanwhile, Sabres winger Jack Quinn had surgery on a lower-body injury and is out 6-to-8 weeks. The Sabres say it does not have anything to do with an Achilles or knee injury.
Quinn got hurt midway through the game on Jan. 27 in San Jose against the Sharks.
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Granato is going to put Zach Benson into Quinn’s spot with Dylan Cozens and JJ Peterka.
"Zach has been great in a top-nine role," Granato said of the rookie. "I thought the grind of the season got to him a little bit, so I think this break was good for that. But I do think he is ready to step in."
Granato did give Benson a one-game break in Los Angeles on Jan. 24.
Rasmus Dahlin played in the NHL All-Star Game on Saturday and didn’t have to practice on Sunday. However, the Sabres defenseman decided he wanted to be out there with his teammates.
The 23-year-old wasn’t happy coming back and hearing about Samuelsson and Quinn.
"It sucks, to be honest, but it’s a part of it," said Dahlin on Sunday. "It’s a very, very hot forward and a really good [defenseman], so we are going to miss them. We’re just going to look forward and make the best of it."
Samuelsson hasn’t had very good luck with injuries since he turned pro during the 2020-21 season. Last year, he missed 27 games total, and will miss half the season (41 games) this time around.
"He plays so hard out there, and stuff happens. You can’t really control it," Dahlin said of Samuelsson. "It sucks for him, and he doesn’t deserve it."
Samuelsson finished the game against the Ducks, but when Quinn went down, it was very obvious he was in a lot of pain. Dahlin says he could see it in Quinn’s face.
"You see it in his eyes. He was scared too," he said. "It’s never fun, and his mood after the game was not fun to watch either."
Sabres center Dylan Cozens has known Quinn long before they were teammates in Buffalo.
"After the game, he was pretty quiet and slumped in his space. There wasn’t much you could do but be sorry for him," said Cozens on Sunday. "He knows we’re all thinking about him."
Cozens also thinks the Sabres will really miss Samuelsson heading into the final stretch of the season.
"He’s so big for us back there. The way he helps defensively, the way he puts his body on the line. That guy blocks so many shots, and no matter who’s teeing it up, he’s getting in the way," Cozens said. "That guy puts his body through it, and he’s a huge part of this team."
It doesn’t sound like there will be any call ups from the Rochester Americans due to these injuries.
The team returned to practice on Sunday with Erik Johnson and Zemgus Girgensons both out on the ice. However, neither have been cleared to play yet. Granato expects both Johnson and Girgensons to be cleared come Monday.
Girgensons missed the San Jose game and most to the Los Angeles game, while Johnson has missed four games.
Granato also mentioned now that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has established himself as the starting goaltender, he will play as much as he can. That means Devon Levi is now in Rochester, and will stay there for now unless circumstances change.
The Sabres went 90 minutes on Sunday, which included a break to resurface the ice.
SUNDAY’S LINES:
Forwards:
Skinner – Thompson – Okposo
Benson – Cozens – Peterka
Greenway – Mittelstadt – Tuch
Robinson – Krebs – Olofsson – Girgensons
Defense:
Dahlin – Jokiharju
Bryson – Power
R. Johnson – Clifton – E. Johnson
