The Buffalo Sabres will be without two of its top-six defensemen due to injuries this week.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff gave updates on defensemen Mattias Samuelsson and Bowen Byram, who did not practice Monday morning with the team at KeyBank Center.
Samuelsson is now week-to-week with an upper-body injury, which was originally disclosed Friday. Ruff said that day that Samuelsson would be evaluated further, and that the injury came after Samuelsson had what Ruff labeled “a good practice” Thursday.
Ruff did not specify the injury Byram sustained, but said he sustained it during the Sabres’ 5-2 win against Detroit in a preseason game Saturday at KeyBank Center.
“I don’t think he’ll play Wednesday but probably going to skate on his own tomorrow,” Ruff said.
Byram had been skating on the Sabres’ top defensive pair with Rasmus Dahlin. Michael Kesselring skated with Dahlin on Monday.
As a result of the injuries to Samuelsson and Byram, the Sabres announced Monday morning that they have recalled Vsevolod Komarov from Rochester of the American Hockey League. The 6-foot-4 defenseman from Russia played in the Sabres’ first preseason game, a 4-0 win Sept. 22 at Columbus, on a defensive pair with Nikita Novikov.
Ruff also said center Jiri Kulich will practice Tuesday, a day before the Sabres host the Pittsburgh Penguins in an exhibition game at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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