The Buffalo Sabres haven’t been able to stay healthy to begin this season.
The likes of Rasmus Dahlin, Alex Lyon and Tyson Kozak are all currently missing time with injuries.
Buffalo plays on without them at the moment, having lost on Tuesday night in a shootout in Montreal to the Canadiens.
The Sabres stay on the road later this week as they’ll hit Toronto on Thursday night to play the Maple Leafs.
They then return to Montreal on Saturday for another clash with the Habs.
The Sabres’ best chance of getting this season on track is to get healthy, and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff shared an update on Wednesday on the three absent players.
Rasmus Dahlin Injury Update
Dahlin exited Monday’s game against Florida with an upper-body injury.
He didn’t travel with the Sabres to Montreal for Tuesday, but the door had been left open for him to join the team later in the road trip.
In a radio appearance Wednesday morning, Ruff shared that it’s “doubtful” Dahlin will come to Toronto to join the Sabres for that game.
Dahlin has a history of back injuries, and while this ailment hasn’t been clarified, that’s the concern for what he is currently dealing with. He appeared to tweak something or feel pain on a shot attempt against the Panthers on Monday.
As the Sabres’ top defenseman, Dahlin’s absence is particularly noticeable.
Alex Lyon Injury Update
Ruff’s update included the fact that Lyon had a “setback” in his recovery and will stay off the ice for a few days.
Lyon hasn’t played yet this season after getting injured in the preseason, and his return timeline remains a bit uncertain.
With Lyon out, the Sabres are relying on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis to split time in goal.
The most likely outcome when Lyon comes back is for him to take the spot occupied by Ellis, but until that time comes, the Sabres will keep waiting.
Tyson Kozak Injury Update
The depth forward Kozak isn’t with the Sabres right now, either.
In Ruff’s radio appearance, he shared that Kozak is dealing with an upper-body injury that has kept him back in Buffalo for right now.
If there’s an area that the Sabres have strong depth, it’s up front, so a Kozak absence would be the one that conceptually would hurt Buffalo’s roster out of the three of those.
Sabres Injury Updates for Rasmus Dahlin, Alex Lyon, Tyson Kozak