Sabres suffer injuries to their young core

Two crucial young Buffalo Sabres players are out with lower-body injuries: Zach Benson and Devon Levi. According to the team, both Benson and Levi are considered day-to-day at this stage.

While both injuries could very well be minor and cause only brief absences for each player, the immediate implications of the loss of these two players is significant for the Sabres. Head coach Don Granato’s forward lines have undergone major surgery. Dylan Cozens was moved from second-line center to first-line right winger, Jordan Greenway was also elevated to the first line, and among other changes veteran Victor Olofsson re-entered the regular lineup pitcture  in Benson’s place.

The loss of Benson is somewhat minimized by the fact that the Sabres had Olofsson (who scored 28 goals last year) as a healthy scratch. Their surplus of quality forwards is not mirrored in net, though, where any loss of Levi would be more significant.

Although the team does have a surplus of goalies in terms of numbers, (they are carrying three netminders on their active roster) they do not appear to have a surplus in terms of quality.

Neither Eric Comrie or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have performed exceptionally at the NHL level for the Sabres, and Levi has started all of the Sabres’ games so far this season. This is a season where Buffalo is looking to end the NHL’s longest playoff drought, and their slower-than-expected start has been something of a concern.

With an important rematch against the Islanders coming up tomorrow, the Sabres will have to hope that the lower-body injuries that kept Levi and Benson out of practice today won’t cost them much more than that.