The Buffalo Sabres were looking for any bit of good news at practice on Thursday after a 6-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday extended their winless skid to 11 games. That came in the form of defenseman Rasmus Dahlin returning to practice for the first time since December 3rd.
The Sabres are expecting to have their team captain back when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Key Bank Center on Friday night, but Buffalo will not have winger Jordan Greenway in the lineup, as head coach Lindy Ruff said after practice that the big winger will be undergoing surgery and will be out a significant period of time.
The big winger is the final year of a three-year, $9 million contract and was playing well in a two-way role to start the season, but ran into a mid-body injury issue after a win over St. Louis on November 14. Greenway was out for more than three weeks before returning on December 9th and played four games, but was scratched against the Habs on Tuesday.
The Sabres did not provide a timeline for Greenway’s return, but surgery at this point could have the 27-year-old back in the lineup after the NHL’s 4-Nations Face-Off in mid-February. With Buffalo’s playoff chances currently being a long shot, that could mean that the big winger will be back in time to be available to be moved before the March 7th trade deadline.
Related: Sabres Slammed By Canadiens, Now Winless In 11
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