Jack Quinn debut delayed, out for remainder of season

It was reported that Buffalo Sabres prospect Jack Quinn will undergo surgery to treat a lower-body injury he has been playing through this season, per Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News.

The 19-year-old who was the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft could be a potential impact player in the Sabres youth movement. The decision to have the procedure now instead of waiting until the offseason will allow a recovery time that will not impede Quinn’s ability to train this summer.

The forward was seeing regular playing time at center this season for the Rochester Americans. With the Sabres making call-ups to evaluate talent, it was suggested by Buffalo News columnist Mike Harrington that Quinn could have made his NHL debut near the end of the season.

When the OHL season was officially canceled, it was actually in line with Quinn’s progression. It allowed him to continue playing in the AHL with the Amerks, where he wouldn’t have been eligible under normal circumstances. This year has been anything but normal in the NHL, however.

As one of the older players in the draft with 1st-year eligibility, Quinn had made a similar leap before being drafted by the Sabres by forgoing AAA and making the jump directly to playing in the CCHL and OHL. There he was second in the league, scoring with 52 goals and 37 assists in a short year with the Ottawa 67’s due to the pandemic.

This year saw a similar jump to the AHL under the current league circumstances, which has only continued to streamline his development. After winning a silver medal with Team Canada at the World Juniors to kick off the year, his time playing in Rochester allowed him to compete against professionals in his first year as part of the Sabres system.

At this rate, after he recovers, we might see Quinn suit up at KeyBank Center for the Sabres sometime next season as Buffalo looks to break into the postseason.