The Buffalo Sabres have been hoping that Mattias Samuelsson can get back on the ice for their season-opening game in Columbus on Thursday night against the Blue Jackets.
Samuelsson is dealing with a lower-body injury that he sustained in the preseason, and when head coach Lindy Ruff spoke to reporters on Wednesday, he didn’t rule Samuelsson out for Thursday.
It’d be big for Buffalo to have Samuelsson on the ice.
The 26-year old left-shot defenseman was a massive performer in the postseason a year ago and will be expected to have a big role again on the blue line for Buffalo in the 2026-27 season. He put up a career-best 41 points in 2025-26, including 13 goals and 28 assists.
The latest indication, though, is that Samuelsson might have to miss out.
Buffalo made a roster move on Thursday morning that points in that direction.
Update: Although the Sabres made the below roster move, Samuelsson is now expected to play on Thursday night.
Sabres Make Roster Move
On Thursday morning, the Sabres officially recalled Dennis Gilbert from AHL Rochester.
Gilbert is a defenseman, which would be the area Buffalo would be light if Samuelsson was unable to play.
It would be a return to the Sabres for Gilbert. He played with Buffalo in 2024-25 and appeared in 25 games. He ranked first on the team that season in blocked shots per game and hits per game.
Gilbert then left in 2025-26 to play elsewhere. He got into eight games at the NHL level with the Ottawa Senators, tallying one assist.
Most of last season for Gilbert was spent in the AHL, where he appeared for both Lehigh Valley and Belleville. Between those stints, he had 37 AHL games in 2025-26 and totaled 13 assists.
In his NHL career, Gilbert has played 119 games and scored three goals with 18 assists.
Dennis Gilbert Bio Blast
Gilbert is 29 years old and stands 6-foot-2 while weighing in at 216 pounds.
He was actually born in Buffalo.
Gilbert was a collegiate star at Notre Dame before being a third-round pick in 2015.
He has also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche in addition to the Sabres and Senators.
Gilbert may not actually play a ton even if he’s active on Thursday night. His role would be to bring some physicality to the proceedings as needed.
He’s certainly not a like-for-like swap for Samuelsson, whose offensive talents will need to be made up for by other players.
But all things considered, it seems like Samuelsson is pretty close to being back — and there’s always a chance this Gilbert move wasn’t for him in the first place. The Sabres will be seeking a win on opening night regardless of who they’ve got out there on the ice.
Sabres Roster Move Hints at Mattias Samuelsson Injury Decision