The Buffalo Sabres seemed to find something in Detroit as they were able to comeback after being down three goals to the Red Wings. That carried over on Monday night against the Edmonton Oilers as they looked the best they have all season with a 5-1 victory at home.
These are some of the latest news and notes for the Buffalo Sabres.
Buffalo Sabres place Michael Kesselring on injured reserve
It feels like at this point, the Buffalo Sabres are never going to get a chance to see what this roster might look like with everyone available. They have dealt with more than their fair share of injuries and were even without Rasmus Dahlin as he took a leave of absence to be with his fiancée.
Dahlin returned to the Sabres on Saturday and helped them secure a comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings. Unfortunately, in that game they saw a key part of their blueline leave early and doesn't look like he will be back anytime soon.
Michael Kesselring suffered the injury in the second period off a hit, and while he did return for one shift in the third, he wasn't in a position to continue. On Monday, the team announced that Kesselring was placed on injured reserve and Lindy Ruff said there was no timetable for his return.
This is Kesselring's first season with the Sabres and he has only been able to play in seven games as this is his second stint on injured reserve. He suffered an injury during the preseason that forced him to miss the start of the season.
While the Sabres did call up Zach Mesta from Rochester, it will likely be Jacob Bryson replacing Kesselring in the lineup for the time being.
Zach Benson spotted still in a walking boot
Another player the Buffalo Sabres have been missing is Zach Benson, who hasn't played since October 30th against the Boston Bruins. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear he is going to be back anytime soon.
During the Sabres' win over the Edmonton Oilers, WGR550's Paul Hamilton tweeted that he spotted Zach Benson near the press box wearing a walking boot.
Just passed Benson in the Press Box. He still has a walking boot on
— Paul Hamilton (@pham1717) November 18, 2025
Similar to Kesselring, this is Benson's second stint on injured reserve as he missed the beginning of the season after he suffered an injury in practice. However, once he returned he made an immediate impact with four assists in the game against Ottawa and had eight in the eight games he has played this season.
Mattias Samuelsson gets a helping hand from the Buffalo Sabres captain
It was an impressive performance across the board for the Buffalo Sabres against the Edmonton Oilers. One of the reasons was they were able to do the little things that make a big difference, one of those is blocking shots.
Mattias Samuelsson was able to do that to help his goalie out in the third period but in the process had the puck knock the blade off his skate. Unfortunately, it isn't easy to get back to the bench without a skate but thankfully the Sabres' captain was close enough to give a helping hand.
Samuelsson's steel got blown out blocking a shot and Rasmus took him by hand back towards the bench 😂 #LetsGoBuffalo #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/hEne4cDNhU
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) November 18, 2025
Samuelsson has been one of the bigger surprises this season and has really bounced back from a bad season last year. Through 17 games, Samuelsson has three goals and four assists and has earned his way back to being on that top pair alongside Rasmus Dahlin.