The Sabres have a viable candidate step in for Girgensons this season

The Sabres are going to be without Zemgus Girgensons for the entire regular season due to injury, but they may already have the player that will take over his role.

The Buffalo Sabres could not make it through camp without suffering a pretty hefty setback for the team. After going down with a leg injury in the team scrimmage on Monday, the team announced that Zemgus Girgensons underwent hamstring surgery on Wednesday.

The surgery is anticipated to sideline Girgensons for around six months. So he will certainly miss the entire regular season. Theoretically, he could come back if the Sabres make a deep playoff run, but not many people expect that to happen.

As Girgensons was looking to be a bottom-six center for Buffalo this season, they would need to find a viable replacement for him. And it looks like the Sabres may have done this already.

The team announced today that they have signed center Riley Sheahan to a one-year deal worth $700,000. Buffalo had brought Sheahan in on a professional tryout contract at the beginning of camp. It was uncertain if he was going to make the team or maybe be part of the Sabres taxi squad, but the injury to Girgensons may have opened the door for Sheahan.

Girgensons has been an effective bottom-six center for the Sabres and it will be a tough role to fill. He tallied 12 goals and 19 points in 69 games for Buffalo last season and a +/- of -1. The Sabres have relied on Girgensons to be a very physical forward and dependable on the penalty kill. This is why we may see Sheahan fill this role this season.

Sheahan is a very physical center that will fit in a bottom-six center position well in Buffalo, as that is what he has been for most of his NHL career.

With all this being said, we cannot wait for Zemgus to get back on the ice. We wish him a healthy and speedy recovery.