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Sabres’ Justin Danforth Out Several Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

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Sabres forward Justin Danforth will miss more than a month with the lower-body injury he sustained in Wednesday’s 8-4 drubbing of the Senators, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters today (including Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News). It was never made clear what play actually caused the injury, but he left the game early in the second period and didn’t return.

It’s nothing Buffalo isn’t used to by now. Injuries have decimated their forward group early in the season. Jordan Greenway and Joshua Norris remain on injured reserve. New top-line winger Zach Benson only just made his season debut after a rather significant facial injury kept him out of the first three games, and he lit up the Sens for four assists to immediately assume the team lead in scoring.

Danforth, 32, inked a two-year, $3.6MM deal with the Sabres in free agency after spending the first four years of his NHL career with the Blue Jackets. He began the year on the fourth line but was quickly elevated into top-nine duties with Jiri Kulich and Jack Quinn when Norris got hurt in Buffalo’s first game. He’s without a point in any of his four appearances and hasn’t been particularly effective otherwise, aside from taking some faceoffs and going 54.8% on the dot, on pace for a career high. He’s managed four blocks and three hits with a -2 rating, only controlling 41.5% of shot attempts despite starting 55.6% of his shifts in the offensive zone at even strength.

The Sabres can place Danforth on injured reserve at any point if they need his roster spot, although they haven’t done so yet. They have enough cap space ($3.12MM) that long-term injured reserve shouldn’t be a consideration. For now, it appears recent call-up Joshua Dunne will maintain a spot in the lineup in Danforth’s place when Buffalo hosts the Panthers tomorrow afternoon.

Sabres, Alex Tuch Pause Extension Negotiations

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There was a heavy expectation heading into the 2025-26 season that the Buffalo Sabres would get an extension done with forward Alex Tuch. Before the campaign, there was no agreed-upon extension, and Tuch’s future is more uncertain following a disappointing start by the Sabres. In a recent interview with David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Brian Bartlett, Tuch’s agent, admitted that extension talks had begun to stall.

Bartlett acknowledged that the Sabres wanted to keep Tuch after this season, and Tuch expressed interest in staying as well. However, Bartlett shared further, ” I think we’ve all kind of decided that it’s best to just try to get some wins here. Alex is a leader on that team, both play-wise and kind of, you know, in the room. So he wants to focus on that, not have it a distraction, so we’ve wanted to just kind of let everyone know, like, we’re just gonna put this on the backburner for a little bit – doesn’t mean that we’re closing the door to signing, doesn’t mean anything, just means that, you know, for the time period, he’s gotta try to help the Buffalo Sabres win games.”

Despite earning a win last night, the Sabres haven’t gotten off on the right foot to stave off the 15th year of their playoff drought. If Tuch wants to play on a legitimate contender, few would condemn him for seeking an opportunity outside of Buffalo. Still, there’s plenty of time to correct the disappointing start, and Tuch may feel more inclined to revisit talks if the Sabres can collect more wins.

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Sabres Reassign Ryan Johnson, Recall Zach Metsa

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4:55 p.m.: The team later announced that defenseman Zach Metsa, not a forward, is the corresponding recall. It’s now clear that Johnson’s demotion was made purely with the intent of getting him more ice time in Rochester. If Metsa plays, it’ll be his NHL debut. The 5’9″ righty has worked his way up Buffalo’s depth chart since signing there as a free agent in 2023, fresh off captaining Quinnipiac to a national championship. The Wisconsin native broke out to lead Rochester’s defense in scoring last season, finishing third on the team overall with a 7-39–46 line in 69 games.

3:55 p.m.: The Sabres have assigned defenseman Ryan Johnson to AHL Rochester, according to the league’s transactions log. They haven’t made a corresponding transaction yet, but they could be sending the waiver-exempt rearguard down to open space for a forward recall after Justin Danforth left last night’s win over the Senators with a lower-body injury.

Johnson, a first-round pick in 2019, cracked the Sabres out of camp this year for the first time since signing out of college in 2023. He’s been used sparingly, though. He’s suited up in three of Buffalo’s four contests but has averaged just nine minutes of ice time per game, including a career-low 5:12 against Ottawa yesterday. In those minutes, he’s yet to record a point, has an even rating, and has registered four shot attempts with three blocks and two hits. He’s been on the ice for one goal against at even strength and only controlled 40.7% of shot attempts.

The 24-year-old’s development has hit the back burner after what was initially a smooth transition to pro hockey. He made 41 appearances for the Sabres as a rookie in 2023-24, managing a +3 rating with promising possession metrics (52.7 CF%, 52.9 xGF%) in bottom-pairing duties. He only registered eight hits, but the 6’1″ lefty looked on track to be the defensively responsible piece Buffalo drafted him to be and a potential long-term No. 3 on their left side behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.

It’s been tough sledding for the California native since then, though. This summer, he signed a three-year deal as a restricted free agent that will only pay him the league minimum NHL salary each season. It starts as a two-way deal this year, paying him $350K in the minors, before becoming a one-way pact for 2026-27 and 2027-28. He had a fine showing in Rochester last year, only recording a 2-11–13 scoring line in 66 games but finishing sixth on the team with a +13 rating.

He’ll now look to get more wide-open minutes in Rochester before getting his next look with the Sabres on the NHL roster. Buffalo is now only carrying six defensemen, including Mattias Samuelsson, who’s missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury but never landed on IR. Johnson’s demotion implies Samuelsson should be good to go for Saturday against the Panthers but the Sabres also have enforcer Mason Geertsen available, who’s mainly a forward but has dressed on defense in the past.

Short-Term Absences: Raymond, Foligno, Samuelsson

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At least for now, the Red Wings are exhaling that the news isn’t worse regarding the health of star winger Lucas Raymond. He won’t play tonight but is only considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury, the team announced. Raymond left Monday’s win over the Maple Leafs midway through the second period after taking a cross-check into the boards from Toronto defenseman Chris Tanev (video via B/R Open Ice). There was initial fear and speculation that he may have sustained something as serious as a collarbone fracture, but he was back on the ice for morning skate today, according to the team’s Daniella Bruce. He might not even miss a full week, considering there’s been no injured reserve placement. Through two and a half appearances, Raymond had scored twice and added an assist with a +3 rating in what’s otherwise been an iffy start at even strength for Detroit’s top line of him, Dylan Larkin, and rookie Emmitt Finnie.

More short-term absences of note from around the league:

  • The Blackhawks announced that captain Nick Foligno will be taking a “brief” leave of absence and will miss tonight’s game against the Blues. He’s stepping away to be with his family as his daughter undergoes a follow-up surgery related to her congenital heart disease. All of us at PHR send our best wishes to the Foligno family. You can visit their foundation for heart health, The Heart’s Playbook, at this link.
  • Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Senators, according to Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550. His absence shouldn’t last much longer, though. He skated on his own today and could be an option to play this weekend, head coach Lindy Ruff said. Samuelsson remains on the active roster after departing last weekend’s loss to the Bruins early. He’s only missed one game so far.

Sabres Could Scratch Jiri Kulich

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Oct. 15: The message has evidently been received for Kulich, who will be in the lineup tonight after all, Ruff told reporters this morning. “If you really want to know, he’s playing,” Ruff told Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News. “I want to see his response tonight.”

Oct. 14: In yet another brutal start for the Buffalo Sabres, who are 0-3, young forward Jiri Kulich has caught blame from Head Coach Lindy Ruff and could be scratched, as mentioned by the Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe earlier today.

The 21-year-old forward has had a rough go of it so far this season, with no points in three games and a -4 rating. As Ruff told Hoppe, Kulich “hasn’t been good enough”, noting that his skating has not been at the level it was last year. In practice today, Kulich was seen with Jordan Greenway and Mason Geertsen. As Hoppe wrote, it is not exactly a promising sign for the youngster in advance of tomorrow’s game vs Ottawa. 

Despite the struggles and dissatisfaction from his coach, Kulich has not played less than 16 minutes a night so far in each of the club’s games. Although sheltering a young former first-round pick who doesn’t appear ready is not necessarily the wrong move, Ruff’s comments are interesting, throwing such blame at Kulich when the team has scored just two goals all season. Thankfully, Zach Benson is expected back tomorrow; however, with Josh Norris out long-term, it has been a terrible start for the Sabres. With the Senators set to move forward without their injured star captain Brady Tkachuk, tomorrow’s game will be a huge opportunity for Buffalo to finally get into the win column. 

Many eyes will turn to stars such as Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin to lead Buffalo out of the hole they find themselves in, but unfortunately, without Norris, it will be an uphill battle. If they prove unable to do so, at some point, it may be time to look at the team’s deeper issues than a player such as Kulich’s performance, and major changes could be on the horizon. 

Zach Benson Expected Back In The Lineup Tomorrow

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  • Although he wasn’t put on the team’s injured reserve to start the season, Zach Benson has yet to make his debut with the Buffalo Sabres this year. That’s expected to change tomorrow. According to Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald, Benson is likely to enter the lineup tomorrow night against the Ottawa Senators. Unfortunately, unless he has found another offensive level to his game, Benson shouldn’t be expected to help with the Sabres’ offensive woes to begin the campaign. Through his first two years, he’s scored 21 goals and 58 points in 146 games, averaging 14:40 of ice time.

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Buffalo Sabres

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those who don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2025-26 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Atlantic Division, next up are the Sabres.

Buffalo Sabres

Current Cap Hit: $93,341,521 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Zach Benson (one year, $950K)
F Josh Doan (one year, $925K)
F Jiri Kulich (two years, $886.7K)

Potential Bonuses
Benson: $650K

After a strong rookie year in 2023-24, Benson’s sophomore campaign was largely the same.  While he didn’t take a step back in his development, he didn’t really progress either.  While he’s someone the Sabres clearly feel will still be a part of their long-term plans, finding a price point low enough for them to be comfortable with and high enough for Benson to be happy with will be tough.  With that in mind, a short-term bridge deal around the $4MM territory might make the most sense for both sides.  He has three ‘A’ bonuses in his deal and if he stays in their top six all year, he could hit some of those.

Doan was one of the pieces coming to Buffalo in the JJ Peterka trade this offseason.  He held his own in a bottom-six role for the bulk of last season with Utah but that’s not the type of player that typically signs a long-term deal at this point.  A short-term bridge pact makes sense here, potentially in the $3MM area if he has a similar showing this season.  Kulich showed some promise last season despite a relatively limited role.  They’re hoping he can be a top-six center of the future and if it looks like he’ll be there at the end of this deal, a long-term pact could be on the table.  The rate for that could be in the $8MM territory, even if he’s on the second line given the inflation coming to the cap.

Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level

D Jacob Bryson ($900K, UFA)
D Michael Kesselring ($1.4MM, RFA)
F Peyton Krebs ($1.45MM, RFA)
F Beck Malenstyn ($1.35MM, UFA)
F Alex Tuch ($4.75MM, UFA)

Tuch’s contract situation is one of the biggest discussion points in Buffalo right now.  He’s a local player who has publicly stated that he wants to re-sign but no agreement has been reached just yet.  Seeing the recent explosion of the winger market, it’s likely that Tuch’s camp is seeking to more than double his current price tag.  He has only passed the point-per-game mark once in his career but with two 36-goal efforts over the last three seasons, he’s still producing enough that he could very well surpass the $10MM mark on his next deal.  If Buffalo continues to struggle, his name will come up in trade speculation quickly so it wouldn’t be surprising to see both sides plug away at this in the coming weeks.

Krebs bounced back last season after a tough 2023-24 campaign but he still hasn’t progressed to being a consistently reliable producer; he has yet to reach 30 points in a single season.  However, given that he plays a premium position and has arbitration rights, he should be able to double this price tag next summer.  Malenstyn wasn’t anywhere near as impactful in his first year with Buffalo compared to his 2023-24 season with Washington.  However, with his physicality, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him pass the $2MM mark next summer, even as a pure fourth liner.

Kesselring was the other part of the return for Peterka and is someone Buffalo likely views as an important building block on the back end.  He hasn’t become a full-time top-four piece yet but as a coveted right-shot defender with arbitration rights, he should be in a position to push for $4MM on a shorter-term deal while a long-term pact would likely run past $5MM per season.  Bryson has been a depth defender for the last few seasons and is likely to remain in that role moving forward.  That should keep him close to the minimum salary for next season and beyond.

Signed Through 2026-27

D Bowen Byram ($6.25MM, UFA)
F Justin Danforth ($1.8MM, UFA)
G Colten Ellis ($775K, RFA)
F/D Mason Geertsen ($775K, UFA)
F Jordan Greenway ($4MM, UFA)
G Alex Lyon ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Jack Quinn ($3.375MM, RFA)
D Conor Timmins ($2.2MM, UFA)
F Jason Zucker ($4.75MM, UFA)

Zucker and Greenway found themselves in similar situations last season, players on expiring contracts who were likely to be moved if they didn’t sign extensions.  Instead, both worked out short-term deals that gave them some stability and kept Buffalo’s long-term options open.  Zucker’s trips through free agency haven’t always proven fruitful but if he stays in the 50-point range the next couple of years, he could land a small raise and a multi-year pact, even as a 35-plus contract.  As for Greenway, he has been the beneficiary of the power forward premium.  When healthy, he struggles to reach 30 points and even staying in the lineup has been a concern.  But given his size, physicality, and defensive acumen, there’s a high enough floor that Buffalo was willing to pay a premium on.  He’ll need to produce a bit more if he wants to beat this by any sort of significant amount.

Quinn wasn’t quite able to live up to offensive expectations last season, resulting in this bridge deal getting signed back in June.  Both sides will be hoping that he will be able to take that step forward and become a legitimate top-six piece.  If that happens, he could plausibly push past $6MM or more two years from now.  Danforth came over from Columbus in free agency as a versatile piece who can move up and down the lineup.  But he will have to find a way to produce more if he is going to have a shot at beating this in his next trip to the open market.  Geertsen hadn’t played in the NHL since 2021-22 before surprisingly making Buffalo’s roster in training camp.  Unless he can establish himself as an every-game player, he’s likely to remain at the minimum salary in the future.

To avoid any risk of an offer sheet, the Sabres filed for arbitration with Byram this summer, setting him up for a two-year deal that took him right to unrestricted free agency.  While they settled before the hearing, they couldn’t get any additional team control, meaning he’ll hit the open market at 26, in the prime of his career.  Given how much salaries have exploded, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he pushes for a deal in the $10MM range on a max-term agreement.  Timmins, acquired in a swap of third-pairing defensemen this summer, also managed to avoid arbitration with this deal.  He has shown flashes of offensive upside over the years but has been more of a fifth or sixth option for most of that time.  There’s a fine line to navigate for players in his situation as if he remains a lower-producing piece, the offers two years from now might not get to this level.  But a few more points could propel him past the $3MM mark.

Lyon became a full-time backup goaltender over his two years with Detroit, getting into 74 games overall.  However, his save percentage dipped to .896 last season which hurt his chances of getting a bigger deal this summer.  Still, he did enough to get his biggest guaranteed contract.  At this point of his career, it’s hard to see him moving into that top echelon of backups so while another small raise could be doable, he’s probably not going much higher than that.  Ellis was claimed off waivers and has yet to make his NHL debut.  Buffalo feels he has some upside as evidenced by the claim but when everyone’s healthy, he’s no higher than third on the depth chart.  This doesn’t feel like a situation where he’s going to get a chance to play into a big contract but if he does well in limited action, he could land where Lyon is now.

Signed Through 2027-28

D Ryan Johnson ($775K, RFA)
F Tyson Kozak ($775K, RFA)

Both Johnson and Kozak are on identical three-year deals.  However, with the minimum salary moving to $850K next season and $900K in 2027-28, their cap hits beginning next season should jump to $841.7K.

Kozak made his NHL debut last season, getting into 21 games where he did okay with limited playing time.  He wasn’t a big point producer with Rochester either but the security of a three-year pact with two one-way years was enough to get him to sign.  He’ll need to establish himself as a regular and make a bit of an impact to help his cause for a new deal as if he winds up with minimal production, he’ll become a non-tender candidate to avoid arbitration eligibility.

Johnson, a 2019 first-round pick, has had a limited role so far when he has played, including a 41-game stint in his rookie year.  He also opted for the security of two one-way years while he looks to establish himself as a full-time defender.  Like Kozak, he’ll want to be more established by the end of this deal to avoid being a non-tender candidate to avoid arbitration eligibility.  If he’s a regular third-pairing option by then, Johnson could move up into the $2MM range on a contract.

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Mattias Samuelsson Out Day-to-Day

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  • The Buffalo Sabres announced today that defenseman Mattias Samuelsson did not play in today’s game against the Colorado Avalanche due to an undisclosed injury. Head coach Lindy Ruff said that “the initial prognosis on the injury was positive,” and expressed optimism that Samuelsson would be ready to play in time for the team’s game Wednesday. Samuelsson played alongside Jacob Bryson in the team’s Saturday game against the Boston Bruins, and saw his spot filled by 2019 first-rounder Ryan Johnson for today’s contest.

Josh Norris To Miss A Significant Amount Of Time

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Oct. 13th: According to Sabres correspondent Heather Engel, head coach Lindy Ruff suggests that Norris is expected to miss eight weeks of action. Still, he is receiving a second opinion on the injury. Should the second opinion agree on the recovery timeline, that would project Norris’ return in the first week of December, costing him over 25 games of the 2025-26 campaign.

Oct. 11th: On Friday, the Sabres were still evaluating Josh Norris’ upper-body injury to determine how long he might be out for.  The evaluation appears to be ongoing still but the outcome is not ideal as head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters, including Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News (Twitter link), that Norris will miss “a significant amount of time” due to the injury.

It is a tough but all-too-familiar blow for the 26-year-old as injuries have dogged him throughout his seven NHL seasons.  The injury occurred late in Thursday’s season opener against the Rangers off a faceoff and while he was eventually able to get up and go to the bench under his own power, he didn’t take a shift after that.

Norris was acquired by Buffalo in one of the bigger trades near the trade deadline last season, coming over from Ottawa with Dylan Cozens being the most significant piece going the other way in a swap of centers that might benefit from the change of scenery.  However, Norris wasn’t able to get a chance to prove that as he suffered a season-ending mid-body injury in just his third game with the team.  Now, he’s suffered another serious setback in his fourth game more than six months later.

Norris was coming off a 21-goal season in 2024-25, the second-best output of his career only coming behind the 35 tallies he had in 2021-22 with Ottawa.  The hope was that he’d be able to bring some extra firepower to their top six forward group and while that still could be the case, it clearly won’t be happening anytime soon.  Fortunately, Ruff later clarified to reporters, including WGR 550’s Paul Hamilton (Twitter link), that the injury isn’t related to any injuries he has had in the past.

If it’s determined that Norris will miss at least 10 games and 24 days with this latest injury, he will become LTIR-eligible.  However, with Buffalo having a little more than $2.2MM in cap space, per PuckPedia, they’re not necessarily in a spot where they should need to use that.  In the meantime, it’s likely that the Sabres will place him on regular injured reserve in the near future, opening up a roster spot for a recall from AHL Rochester.

Sabres Assign Scott Ratzlaff To ECHL

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  • In an update unrelated to injuries, the Buffalo Sabres have shifted around some of their organizational goaltending depth. According to a team announcement, the Sabres have reassigned netminder Scott Ratzlaff to the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen. Ratzlaff, 20, who was selected with the 141st overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, spent last season with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, managing a 23-19-4 record in 49 games with a .910 SV%.

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