The Sabres will activate right-winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel from injured reserve in the coming days, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters today, including Heather Engel of NHL.com. He’s medically cleared to play but may not be in the lineup tomorrow against the Red Wings with only one full practice under his belt, Ruff said. He’ll return to the lineup no later than Monday against the Panthers.
Aubé-Kubel, 28, sustained a lower-body injury in the season opener against the Devils in Prague back on Oct. 4. He was placed on IR a few days later, after which Ruff said he’d miss the next three to six weeks. Today marks exactly three weeks since he sustained the initial injury, so this marks the best-case scenario for his return to the lineup.
Buffalo landed Aubé-Kubel over the summer as a free agent, inking him to a one-year, $1.5MM deal. The high-energy fourth-line piece had spent most of the last two seasons with the Capitals after they claimed him off waivers from the Maple Leafs early in the 2022-23 campaign. Aubé-Kubel shined as a depth piece in D.C., posting 16 points in 60 games last year while averaging a career-high 12:12 per game. He finished fifth on the team in hits with 159, and his +4 rating was tied for second. He also recorded 32 takeaways compared to 19 giveaways, one of the better differentials on the team.
The Alberta native was also part of the Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Claimed off waivers from the Flyers early in the season, Aubé-Kubel went on to post a career-high 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 74 regular-season games.
The Sabres can recreate two-thirds of what was an extremely effective fourth line for Washington last year after also acquiring left-winger Beck Malenstyn via trade. They had the duo centered by Sam Lafferty for under six minutes on opening night before Aubé-Kubel sustained the injury.
Buffalo has a full 23-man roster and will need to make a corresponding transaction to activate Aubé-Kubel. That could be returning 2022 first-round pick Jiri Kulich, who’s been scratched twice and has been limited to a goal in six appearances despite averaging over 15 minutes per game, to AHL Rochester. It could also be placing winger Zach Benson on IR – the sophomore is day-to-day with a lower-body injury that’s kept him out of two games this season. He wasn’t at practice today, relays Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.