The Buffalo Sabres may be without one of their veteran defensemen when the 2019-20 season opens. The team announced today that Zach Bogosian has undergone successful hip surgery and will be out for five to six months.
Bogosian, 28, underwent another hip surgery last year and made it all the way back to actually have one of his most productive seasons in quite some time. The big blue liner recorded 19 points in 65 games for the Sabres while averaging nearly 22 minutes a night. He was listed as “day-to-day” for the end of the season, but apparently had something that needed correcting. This surgery will almost certainly cost him all of training camp, if not the first part of next season.
Notably, the injury will also remove any consideration of a buyout for the veteran. Bogosian has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5.14MM, and had been a buyout candidate in the past given his struggles to stay healthy and effective. As you cannot buy out injured players, the team will miss the window to do so if they had any intention to.
That means Bogosian will have to work hard to get himself back to game shape in time to prove he can still compete in the NHL. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer and still just 29 years old, plenty young enough to secure a multi-year deal if he can show his effectiveness. After two major hip surgeries and several other injuries though that will be a tough ask.
Zack Bogosian can’t catch a break…you heard it here second…