The Buffalo Sabres still have one game left on their preseason schedule and their injury report already looks like it's the end of a grueling 82-game NHL season.
Here's a look at the Sabres' list of injuries in wake of Wednesday night's 5-3 exhibition loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins:
Player | Injury Status |
|---|---|
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (G) | Day-to-day (lower body) |
Michael Kesselring (D) | Day-to-day (undisclosed) |
Bowen Byram (D) | Day-to-day (upper body) |
Owen Power (D) | Day-to-day (undisclosed) |
Zach Benson (F) | Day-to-day (undisclosed) |
Mattias Samuelsson (D) | Week-to-week (upper body) |
Jordan Greenway (F) | Week-to-week (middle body) |
Noah Ostlund (F) | Week-to-week (undisclosed) |
That's a lot of talent with an uncertain outlook as Buffalo prepares for Friday's preseason finale against the Pens followed by an Oct. 9 Opening Night clash with the New York Rangers to kick off the 2025-26 regular season.
In turn, it's fair to wonder whether the Sabres' lack of impact depth could come back to haunt them during the early stages of the new campaign.
Buffalo Sabres' season already threatened by early rash of key injuries, including Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
No Sabres player faced more pressure to produce a bounce-back campaign than goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Alas, the netminder missed a vast majority of training camp because of injury and left his first preseason appearance because of a setback.
It's a major concern for both UPL, who's had limited reps as he attempts to rebound from a brutal .887 save percentage last season, and the Buffalo organization, which doesn't have a proven commodity to fill the void if its incumbent starter misses time.
The Sabres will have to choose between Alex Lyon and Alexandar Georgiev for the season-opening battle with the Rangers if Luukkonen is unavailable. The other long-term option is prospect Devon Levi, who's shined in the AHL but struggled in the NHL.
Meanwhile, one of the main reasons for UPL optimism entering the campaign was a rebuilt defensive group led by Norris Trophy candidate Rasmus Dahlin.
Now, with just a week until the regular season, four of the team's projected six starting blueliners are dealing with some sort of injury. It's thrust Ryan Johnson and Jacob Bryson into possible key roles. Radim Mrtka, the Sabres' 2025 first-round pick, also remains in camp.
Add in the issues for Benson, who's expected to take on a first-line role this season, and Greenway, an important bottom-of-the-lineup contributor, and Buffalo's outlook is awfully murky.
Making matters worse, the early portion of the Sabres' schedule is perhaps the most favorable stretch of the entire campaign. They absolutely can't afford a slow start if they want to maintain a realistic shot at ending their 14-year playoff drought.
Yes, it's possible Buffalo's coaching staff is just being extraordinarily cautious since it's only the preseason, but an eight-player injury list in early October is never a good sign.
The Sabres will hope the players in the day-to-day category will make good progress over the next week to make themselves available for the Rangers game. Even a minor setback would likely prevent them from playing in the opener at this point, though.
It creates a situation where Buffalo's initial lineup, which looked capable of sticking in the Eastern Conference playoff race, could look far different when the puck actually drops to open the season.
That's not promising for an organization with a limited amount of depth. An already young roster would likely be forced to lean heavily on untested prospects to fill the voids.
Ultimately, the Sabres will cross their fingers that the injury luck changes quickly, or the 2025-26 campaign could head south in the blink of an eye.