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Buffalo Sabres Injury Review: Round Two

by Kyle Trimble - 0

For the first time in 19 years, the Buffalo Sabres are moving on to the second round of the NHL playoffs. This was the result of a 4-2 series win over the Boston Bruins. The Sabres are playing well, the power play drought has ended, and they are set to take on the Montreal Canadiens.

The first-round series against the Boston Bruins was physical, with several players dealing with injuries. I expect this series with Montreal will be no different. Read below for all the latest news as the Sabres prepare to take on the Canadiens.

Buffalo Sabres Injuries

Jason Zucker (Upper Body)

Zucker was beaten up over the last several games of the series, potentially with different injuries. He was forced to leave Game 4 in the second period after he took a hit. He was unable to return, a decision head coach Lindy Ruff later said was precautionary given the lead.

However, in Game 6, Zucker took two hard hits as seen below. The first one appeared to be his midsection, and he was able to get up again before he took another harder shot, landing on his right shoulder.

This could have caused an AC joint sprain, which would require some tape and an injection to continue playing. An injury such as this won’t necessarily cause a player to show up on the injury report or be limited, but he will likely feel every hit moving forward.

Noah Ostlund (Left Leg)

Ostlund missed the series-clinching Game 6 after he exited late in the third period of Game 5 due to a lower-body injury. This was the result of Bruins Casey Mittelstadt falling on his left leg. The mechanism of injury suggests an MCL sprain, though the possibility of a high-ankle sprain is there as well.

Considering how supported the ankle was in the skate and how Middlestadt fell more into the upper thigh area, this leans towards an MCL sprain. This is the ligament that runs along the inside of the knee and provides medial stability. This is really important when skating, pushing off the leg with the hip in external rotation and abduction. Having strong support inside helps with a strong push-off for acceleration.

Ostlund has already been ruled out for the entire series, which is not surprising. Grade 1 sprains take 1-2 weeks to return from while Grade 2 could take 3-4 weeks according to literature. Considering they ruled him out for the entire series, this is likely a Grade 2 sprain. It is possible he could push to return for Game 6 or Game 7 if rehab goes well, but that’s an ideal situation. Hopefully, he will be out skating and performing rehab soon, but that may not be until towards the end of the series or if the Sabres make the Eastern Conference Finals.

Josh Norris (Upper Body)

Norris got banged up a little in Game 1, taking a fall onto his left shoulder, as seen below. He stayed in that game and played in Game 2 as well.

He unfortunately missed Games 3, 4, and 5, as he was listed day-to-day before returning in Game 6. He isn’t currently on the injury report, but if he has an early exit in a game, it could be tied to his previous injury.

Sam Carrick (Left Elbow)

Carrick has been out with a left arm injury since March 31, when he fought the New York Islanders Anders Lee. He fought valiantly until his left arm was injured while holding onto Lee’s jersey and fell, holding his left arm. He required assistance getting off the ice and was diagnosed with a left arm injury.

My initial thought was that this was a shoulder injury, specifically a torn labrum, given how his arm was cocked back when he fell. Unfortunately, due to his extended time missed, the injury was more severe than originally thought.

Carrick said on May 5 that it was a freak injury, and it’s an uncommon injury in hockey. He was expected to miss 4-8 weeks, but his goal was to miss six weeks. He has since been cleared to work his way back into the lineup after initially being ruled out of the series.

Given that Carrick stated this was not a common injury, this further supports the dislocated elbow he may have suffered. As I mentioned in my last article, there isn’t a lot of research available on elbow dislocations within the NHL.

The NFL had a return-to-play timeline for a dislocated elbow at about 25 days, which further aligned with Carrick’s missed timeline.

Despite returning, I still expect him to wear a hinged brace under his jersey to protect the joint and prevent any medial forces through the elbow, which caused the injury in the first place. This would also prevent hyperextension, which could add further trauma to the already existing injury.

Knowing that this is his left arm, this is his non-shooting side, which means that his grip may be affected on the stick, and absorbing contact may be compromised. He should still be overall effective, but his shot may be weaker, and we may see him lose his stick more often if he takes an unexpected hit. I’m also sure that he has been advised to avoid fighting to limit his exposures to further injury.

He’ll be a much-needed part during this second round and could be the spark that gets the Sabres back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Tyson Kozak (Midsection)

Kozak took a hard hit into the boards in Game 4 and did not return to the 6-1 victory. Being held out was precautionary, as was Zucker, but he was day-to-day after that, missing neither Game 5 nor 6.

This may be more of a hurt than an injury situation.

Logan Stanley (Illness)

Stanley missed Game 6 with a stomach virus that left him down and out for two days. He has since returned to practice without designation.

Montreal Canadiens

Patrik Laine (Core Muscle Repair)

Laine has been out since late October after undergoing a core muscle repair, playing in just five games this season. The initial timeline was to keep him out 3 to 4 months, but he has yet to return to the ice.

These are usually fairly quick recoveries, but given the stress on the adductor muscles during skating, a player needs more time to rehab than in other sports.

There have been reports how he could help the Canadiens, but no official timeline for him to return has been provided which means barring a surprise clearance from doctors, he won’t return this series.

Final Thoughts

This injury report is shaping up to be like the first round series. Buffalo had several injuries coming into the series, while Boston had none. The Sabres were the better team then, but I expect this upcoming series to be closer. Either the Sabres or the Canadiens will reach the Eastern Conference Finals, which is great for the sport, given the strength of both teams’ fan bases.

Like the last series, I expect this to be a close but exciting matchup. The Sabres can’t afford any more injuries, especially to some of their top performers.

Make sure to follow along for the latest injury updates as the series progresses.

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