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Sabres Recall Kale Clague, Move Jeff Skinner To IR

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5:30 PM: The Sabres have sent Clague back to the AHL after the defenseman served as a healthy scratch for the team’s Monday win over the San Jose Sharks.

9:00 AM: The Sabres have recalled defenseman Kale Clague from AHL Rochester, per a team announcement. To create the necessary space on the active roster, the team moved star winger Jeff Skinner to injured reserve, according to CapFriendly.

The latter move is purely for roster management purposes and does not change Skinner’s recovery timeline. He remains listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Clague’s recall comes after defenseman Mattias Samuelsson took an elbow to the head from Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek early in the second period of Saturday’s 1-0 loss. Samuelsson did not return to the game and is likely out for this afternoon’s contest against the Sharks.

The 25-year-old Clague isn’t projected to dress against San Jose, but he does provide some needed defensive depth on the NHL roster. Buffalo lost multiple defenders to injury at points during the loss to Vancouver, namely Connor Clifton and Rasmus Dahlin. At one point during the contest, after Dahlin and Samuelsson had both exited the contest to go into concussion protocol due to separate hits to the head, veteran blueliner Erik Johnson was ineligible to play for five minutes after fighting Canucks center J.T. Miller, whose hit knocked Dahlin out of the game. That gave the Sabres only three available defensemen for a stretch, leading depth forward Zemgus Girgensons to play some shifts on the blue line. Head coach Don Granato confirmed both Clifton and Dahlin are cleared to play in today’s contest against the Sharks, although Samuelsson will remain out.

Clague, a second-round pick of the Kings in 2016, re-joined the Sabres on a one-year deal a few days after becoming a UFA in July. It was his second straight season without receiving a qualifying offer, which allowed the Sabres to sign him to a new deal at a slightly discounted cap hit. He’s in his second season in the Sabres organization after spending the first five seasons of his pro career with the Kings and Canadiens.

This is his first recall of 2023-24 after clearing waivers at the end of training camp. The puck-moving blueliner leads Rochester defensemen in assists (15) and points (17) this year in 31 games. It’s the most minor-league action he’s seen since he played 49 games with AHL Ontario in 2019-20.

In 33 games with the Sabres last year, Clague posted four assists while averaging 15:06 per game, all coming at even strength. He posted the best possession metrics of his career in a decent sample, per Hockey Reference – a 52.7% Corsi share, 50% expected goals for, and a +0.1 expected rating at even strength, to be exact. If he can replicate those, there are much worse options to have as an injury fill-in.

Tage Thompson Injured, To Have Imaging Done Today

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TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on TSN Insider Trading that he believes Montreal Canadiens forward Sean Monahan could be one of the first players moved before the NHL trade deadline. The Canadiens and Monahan struck an agreement on a one-year contract last summer with the understanding that the team would move Monahan to a contending team during the season when the time was right.

For his part, Monahan has been having a decent year and is healthy for the first time in a while. The Brampton, Ontario native has dressed in 41 games and has registered 11 goals and 13 assists while averaging over 18 minutes of ice time a game. The seven-time 20-goal scorer hasn’t topped the 20-goal mark since the 2019-20 season but is on pace for a 22-goal campaign. His contract will also be one of the easier deals to move as he is counting just $2MM against the Canadiens salary cap this season.

In other afternoon notes:

  • Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 in Buffalo is reporting that Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson is undergoing imaging today for an undisclosed injury. Thompson was on a mission in last night’s game against the Ottawa Senators as he scored two goals before his exit from the game. He did take a high stick in the second period that forced him to briefly leave the bench, but he did return after that before leaving a second time. Thompson missed a few weeks with a hand injury earlier in the season and was just rounding into form in recent weeks. In 32 games this season, the Phoenix, Arizona native has 14 goals and 13 assists. Sabres head coach Don Granato did tell reporters that Thompson could play tomorrow, meaning that whatever is bothering the 26-year-old may not be too serious, but time will tell.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins commented to the media today that he has not asked the team for a trade, however, he would like the team to find a new scenario for him and the team has agreed with that. What that means is unclear, but Merzlikins did tell reporters that he is not a backup goaltender, something that he is in line to be tomorrow night when the Blue Jackets take on the Seattle Kraken. If Columbus does go the trade route with Merzlikins, it will not be the easiest move to make as the 29-year-old is in the second year of a five-year $27MM contract and has a ten-team no-trade list. Couple his contract, with his uneven play over the past two and a half years and it will be a difficult transaction for the Blue Jackets to make.

Canadiens Acquire Filip Cederqvist From Sabres

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3:44 p.m.: Cederqvist is planning to return to Sweden at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, The Athletic’s Lance Lysowski reports. While this won’t be a long-term investment from Montreal, Cederqvist is a serviceable minor-league stopgap who will help fill out the roster of a Laval squad that’s dealing with multiple long-term injuries.

2:54 p.m.: The Canadiens acquired forward prospect Filip Cederqvist from the Sabres in exchange for future considerations on Thursday.

Cederqvist, 23, was a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Just a few seasons ago, he was regarded as one of the Sabres’ higher-ceiling prospects after posting 14 goals and 32 points in 49 games with Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Hockey League as a 21-year-old in the 2021-22 campaign, good enough for second on the team.

However, his transition to North America has not gone well. Lost in the shuffle among the Sabres’ glut of forward prospects, Cederqvist underwhelmed with nine goals and 20 points in 55 games for AHL Rochester last season, his first in North America. This season has been almost a complete throwaway for Cederqvist, though, who has one goal and three assists through 19 games.

With the Sabres having no need for his services and his poor AHL production causing major concern, it’s no surprise he could be had for free on the trade market. Cederqvist will now likely report to AHL Laval and look to regain confidence in a new organization. The 6-foot-3 Swede can play both left wing and center.

If he doesn’t pan out, it’s a low-risk investment for the Canadiens. He’s in the final season of his two-year, entry-level contract, meaning he can be cut loose at the end of the season if Montreal doesn’t issue him a qualifying offer. He would then be a UFA and could return to Europe or sign on with a third NHL team.

Jeff Skinner Out Week-To-Week With Upper-Body Injury

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The Buffalo Sabres have announced that forward Jeff Skinner is out with an upper-body injury on a week-to-week basis.

It was previously understood that Skinner would be undergoing further testing to determine the full extent of his injury, but there was some hope that it’d be classified as at most a day-to-day absence. That has proven not to be the case. Now, the Sabres will have to make do without a player who ranks second in team scoring.

The 31-year-old has had an impressive career renaissance under head coach Don Granato, going from healthy scratches and just 14 points of production under former coach Ralph Krueger in 2020-21 to a career-high 82 points in 2022-23.

Owner of a $9MM AAV contract, Skinner has become one of the Sabres’ most important offensive generators. Losing Skinner on a week-to-week basis could be a potentially fatal blow to Buffalo’s long-shot playoff hopes. MoneyPuck currently pegs the Sabres at a 7.9% chance of making the playoffs, which is certainly low but not completely impossible.

Without Skinner, it’ll be even tougher for the Sabres to beat the odds and end the league’s most extensive playoff drought. On a team where key offensive players such as Dylan Cozens, Victor Olofsson, Peyton Krebs have failed to take desired steps forward in terms of production, the points Skinner provides on a consistent basis are invaluable.

Without him occupying his typical first-line left-wing slot, the Sabres could turn to Olofsson in that role. Olofsson has previously served as a healthy scratch, but did score 28 goals last season. The Sabres could also opt to elevate their leading scorer Casey Mittelstadt to Skinner’s role, thereby helping replace some of the playmaking Skinner provides, though it would potentially come at the cost of de-stabilizing the Sabres’ third line, leaving Zach Benson and Jordan Greenway in limbo.

Whichever route the Sabres choose to go down in terms of replacing Skinner in the immediate term, one thing is clear: this is a different team without the 2011 Calder Trophy winner, and a team that will find itself even harder-pressed to generate offense.

Jeff Skinner Suffers Upper-Body Injury

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Although the Sabres have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL and one that seems likelier and likelier to extend through 2023-24, their lack of team progress has not stopped individual Sabres from taking major steps forward in their career. $9MM AAV forward Jeff Skinner is coming off of a career year in which he scored 82 points, and currently has 33 points in 38 games. He’s among Buffalo’s most reliable offensive generators, which makes it all the more distressing that he’s suffered an upper-body injury, according to The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn.

Fairburn reports that “the Sabres are waiting for the results” of the imaging Skinner underwent this morning in order to determine a timetable for his recovery. Any significant Skinner absence could be a potential killing blow to the Sabres’ long-shot playoff hopes. He’s skated on the team’s first line alongside Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson, and although three-time 20-goal scorer Victor Olofsson would see more regular time in the lineup in Skinner’s absence, the Sabres don’t have any players who appear capable of replicating Skinner’s playmaking abilities.

Injury Notes: Capitals, Sabres, Blackhawks

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The Washington Capitals will be without both Rasmus Sandin and Tom Wilson, as both players have been designated as day-to-day with upper-body injuries. Wilson was on the receiving end of the butt-end of Alex Laferriere’s stick in the team’s recent matchup against the Los Angeles Kings, leaving Wilson bloodied and forcing him out of action for a brief moment, though the winger returned before the final horn.

Both players have played extended time for the Capitals this season, with Sandin appearing in 36 games and Wilson one of only six players to appear in all 38 of the team’s games. Sandin’s 11 assists on the season rank fourth on the Capitals, though the 23-year-old defenseman has yet to score his first goal of the year. Washington brought in Sandin ahead of last season’s trade deadline, sending the Toronto Maple Leafs Erik Gustafsson and the 28th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, which Toronto used to bring in Easton Cowan.

Sandin has averaged 22 minutes of ice time this season, ranked second among the team’s skaters, while Wilson has averaged roughly 18-and-a-half. Both players are core lineup pieces that the Capitals will want back as soon as possible.

Other injury notes from around the league:

Evening Notes: Campbell, Okposo, Beck, Donovan

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The Edmonton Oilers are planning to shop around goaltender Jack Campbell as the trade deadline approaches, general manager Ken Holland tells The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. But LeBrun doesn’t think there will be many suitors for Campbell’s $5MM cap hit ahead of the deadline, speculating that the team will instead have to wait until the summer to decide what to do with the netminder – whether that’s a buyout or trade.

Campbell’s time in Edmonton has certainly not gone as expected. The 31-year-old is in his second team with the club, after signing a five-year, $25MM contract with the club. He lost the starter job to Calder Trophy finalist Stuart Skinner last season, setting a 21-9-4 record and .888 save percentage through 36 games with the team. But he was only allowed five games with the Oilers this year, putting up a meager .873 save percentage before being placed on waivers and sent to the minor leagues. He’s since made 11 appearances with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, setting a 5-6-0 record and .893 save percentage.

Campbell was a productive goaltender in the two years he spent playing significant time for the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier in his career but hasn’t looked the same since moving across Canada. His status will be one of the Oilers’ biggest questions to answer this summer.

More notes from around the league:

  • Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo returned to the team’s practices on Monday, working his way back from a lower-body injury that’s held him out of the team’s last two games. Okposo is still designated as day-to-day but is nearing a return. He’s managed 14 points in 38 games this season – his 17th NHL season.
  • Polarizing Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck has had his rights traded in the OHL, moving from the Peterborough Petes to the Saginaw Spirit. Saginaw sent Aiden Young and three draft picks the other way. Beck has managed 30 points in 25 points with Peterborough this season, adding one goal in five games at the World Juniors. He went 33rd overall to the Canadiens in the 2022 NHL Draft.
  • The Ottawa Senators also had a prospect moved to Saginaw, as the Spirit acquired defenseman Jorian Donovan from the Brantford Bulldogs. Saginaw sent eight draft picks the other way, including two second-round picks and four third-round picks. Donovan has 28 points in 34 OHL games this season and also attended the World Juniors, though he went scoreless in all five Team Canada games. He was a fifth-round selection in 2022.

Greenway, Olofsson Out Day-To-Day

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Jiri Kulich Reassigned To Rochester

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After a standout performance with Team Czechia at the 2024 World Junior Championship, the Buffalo Sabres announced they have reassigned forward Jiri Kulich to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Leading his team to a bronze medal finish over Team Finland, Kulich tied for for the lead in scoring over the whole tournament, scoring six goals and 12 points in seven games.

He has continued to impress at the AHL level this season, impressively scoring 16 goals in 23 games up to this point, still leading Rochester in goal-scoring, and tied for fourth throughout the entire league. With Buffalo having a relatively packed forward core, it is more than likely that Kulich won’t become a full-time player for the Sabres until the start of next season.

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Sabres’ Kyle Okposo Out Week-To-Week

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Sabres captain Kyle Okposo will be out on a week-to-week basis with a lower-body injury, the team said Tuesday. Okposo was unexpectedly absent from team practice this morning, as relayed by The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski. Head coach Don Granato said later Tuesday that Okposo sustained the injury during the team’s loss to the Senators on Sunday, but did not miss a shift.

Okposo, 35, is in his second season as the Sabres’ captain and his eighth in Buffalo since signing a seven-year, $42MM contract as a free agent in the summer of 2016. He’s no longer bound to that initial long-term deal, signing a one-year, $2.5MM contract extension to remain in upstate New York for this season last May.

It’s been another decent season of depth production from the Minnesotan, who missed significant chunks of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons with severe concussion symptoms. While he had no points in his last four games prior to the injury, he had notched eight goals and six assists for 14 points in 38 games. That puts him on the exact 0.37 points-per-game pace he set last season with the Sabres, although it remains a step back from the 21 goals and 45 points he scored in the 2021-22 campaign.

Okposo hasn’t been the bona fide second-line winger the Sabres thought they were getting almost eight years ago, but the seventh overall pick by the Islanders in the 2006 NHL Draft has grown into a valuable veteran presence on a team largely dominated by young talent. He doesn’t log a ton of time on special teams units, although he does still see occasional usage on the power play and penalty kill and averages nearly 14 minutes per game in all situations. His 49.6% Corsi share at even strength certainly doesn’t make him a chance-suppression juggernaut, but he’s avoided becoming a liability in the late stages of his career.

It’s a tough injury break for a Sabres team that’s already dealt with the longer-term absences of Zach Benson, Zemgus Girgensons, Jack Quinn, and Tage Thompson this year. After an already disappointing start to the season, the Sabres are no closer to turning things around with a 4-5-1 record in their last ten games. Nearly halfway through the NHL calendar, their playoff chances have dipped below ten percent, per MoneyPuck – a tough spot to be in for a rebuilding team expected to take steps forward from their tenth-place finish in the Eastern Conference last season. Their 15-19-4 record has them 14th in the conference at present, ahead of only the Blue Jackets and Senators.

With two extra forwards already on the roster available to replace Okposo in the lineup (Victor Olofsson and Eric Robinson), the Sabres do not need to make a recall from AHL Rochester. If they choose to do so, they currently have a full 23-player roster and would need to move Okposo to injured reserve to accommodate a recall. One of Olofsson or Robinson will likely slot in a fourth-line role alongside Girgensons and Peyton Krebs in their next game against the Canadiens on Thursday.

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