There was plenty of excitement around Jiri Kulich entering the season with the Buffalo Sabres. He was very productive in his rookie season with 24 points in 62 games and had a chance to earn the center spot on the top line next to Tage Thompson this season.
Kulich's season was cut short at the beginning of November when he was diagnosed with blood clots. He has slowly been working his way back, and this week, he was expected to get an update on next steps after more testing.
Unfortunately, those tests didn't go the way many hoped, and after the trade deadline on Friday, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen provided an update on Kulich's status, where he said he was most likely going to be out the remainder of the season.
"We got some unfortunate news on Jiri [Kulich], so he will most likely be out for the season. He's continuing to get treatment, and our main concern is obviously his well-being and long-term health. And second, when he can be back as a hockey player. He's progressing but most likely out for the season," Kekalainen said.
As the Sabres' general manager noted, the biggest concern is Kulich's long-term health and this is hopefully something he can put behind him. Fans would love to see him back on the ice soon but the top priority is Kulich's health.
Sam Carrick addition helps fill some of the void left with Jiri Kulich's absence on the Buffalo Sabres roster
The Buffalo Sabres were not going to find a player ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline that could replace Kulich perfectly. However, with Kulich unlikely to return, it makes sense now why they prioritized adding a center and were able to trade with the New York Rangers for Sam Carrick.
Carrick is a perfect fit on the fourth line for the Sabres and does a lot of the little things well that might go unnoticed. He is excellent in the faceoff circle with a percentage of 54.1% the past two seasons.
Even though it is not a direct replacement, it gives the Buffalo Sabres some depth and options through the rest of the season and into the playoffs to set their lines depending on matchups or injuries that may arise.