Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-1-2018
Sabres forward Johan Larsson is a 26 yr. old young veteran who's played in 258 NHL games in a bottom-six role for Buffalo. Last year, much like the team in general, Larsson had a terrible season and coming into camp he was anything but a lock to make the roster.
Last month as training camp was beginning to roll, head coach Phil Housley told the gathered media he liked what he'd seen from Larsson in camp to that point. "I think he’s had three really good days (of training camp),” Housley said (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times) after the Sabres scrimmaged Sunday morning inside HarborCenter. “He’s come into camp in really good shape, probably the best shape that he’s been in. So it’s good to say he took the words in the right way at the end of the year. But he’s been really, really good so far in camp.”
Larsson's performance on the ice during the preseason was good and he showed flashes of his better self but really wasn't standing out from amongst the many players vying for a roster spot. The acquisitions of Conor Sheary added top-nine depth and when the Sabres traded Ryan O'Reilly to the St. Louis Blues they brought back two veterans forwards in Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka who pretty much passed Larsson on the depth chart upon arrival. In August the Sabres traded for top-six forward Jeff Skinner and he pushed another player down the depth chart probably pushing Larsson out, unless the latter had a helluva camp.
That really didn't happen and this past Wednesday Larsson suffered a foot injury. He's listed as day-to-day right now and prior to yesterday, many expected that when he came off of the injured list he'd be waived. However, what looks to be a serious injury to Scott Wilson yesterday during practice may have given Larsson a brief reprieve.
Wilson, whom the Sabres traded for in December and re-signed to a two-year contract extension, looked to be slated for fourth line duties on the wing before getting tangled up with Rasmus Ristolainen yesterday. Word from the rink had him being helped off the ice and not being able to put any pressure on his right foot. It might be safe to say that he won't be ready for the season opener on Thursday and might be out for an extended period of time.
Oddly enough, Sheary had just returned to practice yesterday after suffering an injury on the first day of training camp.
Another forward who was making a strong push for the opening night roster was rookie Sean Malone who suffered a knee injury in the preseason opener against Columbus. The center is expected to be out six weeks and is expected to got to Rochester when he's cleared to play.
The injuries to Malone, Larsson and now Wilson, in addition to the waiving of winger Justin Bailey and Nicholas Baptiste have combined to allow for winger Tage Thompson and Alexander Nylander to remain with the club. As of now there are 16 forwards listed on Buffalo's roster and only 13 when you take out the injured Malone, Larsson and Wilson.
Buffalo's defense-corps is crowded right now, at least on paper. The Sabres roster on defense stands at 11 players, but three of them are injured and another, Matt Tennyson, was waived on Saturday, cleared, and is presently practicing with the team. Defenseman Matt Hunwick was acquired in the Sheary trade but has been sidelined with a neck injury that caused him to miss all of training camp, Brandon Hickey is also sideline with an undisclosed injury and, as usual, Zach Bogosian is also out with an injury.
That leaves a group of four players that were pegged as starters to begin with--Rasmus Ristolainen, Marco Scandella, Jake McCabe and Rasmus Dahlin--plus two from last year, Nathan Beauleu and Casey Nelson, also in the mix for the top-six. Twenty-one year old defenseman Brendan Guhle, who's had a good but not spectacular camp, is still with the club and may have an opportunity to get into the top six should Bogosian not be ready for Thursday's opener.
Nylander, Thompson and Guhle are all waiver's exempt and when the injured start returning any of those three can be sent down without them having to pass through waivers. And, since Bailey and Baptiste cleared, they can be brought up and sent down if the Sabres want to bring either of them up for the opener.
NHL teams well need to pare their roster to 23 players tomorrow and when six of your 27 skaters are injured, that won't be much of a problem for Buffalo. Plus they can even keep Tennyson around as an extra defenseman, if they so desire.
There will be a lot to watch come opening night including individual players like Jack Eichel, newcomer Skinner and rookie defenseman Dahlin but we'll also be keeping an eye on young players like Nylander, Thompson and Guhle. Injuries have given them opportunities but their performances will dictate where the roster stands when the injured return.
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