Two of the Buffalo Sabres‘ top three scorers were not in the lineup Sunday afternoon when the Sabres beat the Washington Capitals 7-4. The Sabres injury list got forward Alex Tuch and defender Rasmus Dahlin added prior to the Sunday contest. Tuch is week-to-week following a lower-body injury sustained on Friday, and Dahlin is day-to-day with an injury the Sabres describe as “nagging.”
Per GM Kevyn Adams, Alex Tuch is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Rasmus Dahlin is out today. He is considered day-to-day.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 26, 2023
Buffalo Sabres Injury List Gets Two Additions
The Sabres injured were announced early in the day due to the early start time of their game against Washington. Alex Tuch has been placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss multiple weeks. He did not play in the last seven and a half minutes of the Sabres’ 3-1 win over Florida on Friday.
The Sabres report that GM Kevyn Adams believes he will be able to return before the end of the regular season. Adams recalled 28-year-old forward Vinnie Hinostroza from the AHL Rochester Americans Sunday morning. Tuch is the Sabres’ second-leading goal scorer with 28 in 57 games this season. He is behind only Tage Thompson, who scored his 40th goal of the season Sunday. He also has 62 total points which tie him with Dahlin for second on overall team scoring.
The nature of Dahlin’s injury is undisclosed but Adams indicated it has been an ongoing concern for the defenseman. Dahlin, 22 has skated primarily on the Sabres’ top defensive pair, playing an average of 26 minutes per game this season. He is part of both special teams units for Buffalo His 48 assists lead all Sabres in that category.
What the Sabres Injury Update Means For The Future
Being without both Tuch and Dahlin will hurt the Sabres. However, they’ve proved that they can hold the fort while their teammates recover. The Sabres have not recalled any defensemen to fill in for Dahlin. Henri Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson, and Owen Power skated over 20 minutes on Sunday. And Power led all skaters in the game with 27:43. This shows that they are more than capable to get things done. And the trade deadline is approaching. Reports have said that Adams might finally buy this year. It’ll be an interesting week for the Sabres.
Main photo: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
