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Injuries Already a Concern in 2025-26 for the Buffalo Sabres

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Just one game in to the 2025-26 NHL season, the Buffalo Sabres have as many as five starters with injury concerns. This includes one of their best performers this preseason. So, let’s find out who and what it means.

Injured Buffalo Forwards

Joshua Norris

After playing just one game, Norris is injured again. You may recall, this truly is the knock on Norris so far in his career. Norris has played one complete year, the 56 game long COVID-19 season. Since then, he has missed a portion of games in every season. Here are the total games played for Norris by year.

2021-2022 – 66 games played

2022-2023 – 8 games played

2023-2024 – 50 games played

2024-2025 – 56 total games split between Ottawa and Buffalo

Norris left Thursday night’s game with an upper-body injury late in the game. He is currently being evaluated, and there is no timetable on his return. Head coach Lindy Ruff announced he will not travel to Boston with the team ahead of Saturday’s game against the Bruins.

Zach Benson

In what was described as a minor injury ahead of the season opener, Benson’s injury is causing him to miss the game in Boston as well. Ruff told the media after Thursday night’s loss to the New York Rangers that Benson’s injury took him to the hospital. “That little cut on his face turned into something bigger,” Ruff said. Thankfully, he was discharged from the hospital Friday morning, and will hopefully make a return sooner rather than later.

Jordan Greenway

Greenway is also plagued by the injury bug. The power forward played just 34 games for the Sabres last season. He is on injured reserve to start this season as well. The injury is due to a second surgery being needed in July for an existing lower-body injury. The hope is that Greenway can start practicing soon. However, there is no exact date when that is expected to happen.

Buffalo Forward Injury Replacements

The opening night lineup saw Mason Geertsen slot onto the fourth line. Geertsen looked good in the preseason with a handful of scoring opportunities. However, he hasn’t played in the NHL since he logged 25 games with the New Jersey Devils in 2021-2022. Geertsen did not make the most of his time opening night, playing just a handful of minutes and taking a minor penalty in the process.

Josh Dunne could find himself in the lineup Saturday night against the Bruins. He played two games with the Sabres last season, he didn’t score but he did drop the gloves. The Sabres were criticized last season for not sticking up for teammates when they were cheap shotted. If Dunne can’t do anything else in the lineup, he will be that guy for the Sabres if need be.

And lastly, Tyson Kozak could slide into the lineup. Likely as a depth centre, he began this season with the Sabres rather than being assigned to Rochester in the AHL. Kozak played 21 games with the Sabres last year, so hardly a unfamiliar face.

Injured Buffalo Defenceman

Michael Kesselring

Kesselring’s injury takes us back to the October 1, preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He sustained an undisclosed injury and is labeled as week-to-week. This is a heartbreaker for Sabre fans who were hoping to see their shiny new acquisition in the regular season. Buffalo traded for Kesselring earlier this summer, and he will not be playing in a Sabres jersey for a bit longer.

Owen Power

The former first-overall pick did not start in the season opener with the Sabres. There were lingering concerns regarding a muscle strain that kept him in a non-contact jersey in practice. However, it seems like that has faded and an illness is what’s keeping him out of the lineup. Ruff said that Power will travel with the team, and could be in action Saturday night. Regardless of his status with that game, it sounds like there isn’t anything keeping him out of the lineup minus the illness, which is good news.

Buffalo Defence Injury Replacements

Jacob Bryson played in the season opener. No surprise, he has made a career in the NHL of playing in a depth role with the Sabres. Bryson has played 255 games in the NHL, all of them with Buffalo. He is a capable speedy defencemen, that may not be a game changer, but is good in a pinch. He will likely spend this season as Buffalo’s seventh defenceman, filling in where needed, a shame he is already needed though.

Lastly, Ryan Johnson will play once again in the NHL. He played 41 games with the Sabres in 2023-2024, and then only three last season. The former first-round pick is taking time to develop further in the AHL mostly, but is still a solid player. He is no Owen Power or Rasmus Dahlin, for that matter, but he plays a tough game. Also, he moves the puck up ice well and has some flashes of nice offence. Is it ideal that he is in the lineup, no. But Sabre fans can rest easy, if they continue to lose games, it will doubtfully be because of poor defensive play from Johnson.

Injured Buffalo Goalie

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Luukkonen is week-to-week as well with a lower-body injury. He sustained this injury back in preseason, and is being evaluated on a weekly basis. This is a separate injury than the one he sustained at the start of training camp. Either way, the Sabres will be looking for their backups to step in to start the year.

Buffalo Goalie Injury Replacements

Alex Lyon got the start thursday night against the Rangers. And looked pretty good. Stopping 29 of 32 shots for a .902 save percentage. the game was 1-0 until late in the third when the Rangers capitalized on a couple of nice opportunities. Lyon will likely continue to be the starter until Luukkonen returns.

Lastly, the Sabres picked up Colten Ellis off of waivers to backup Lyon. Devon Levi was an option, but the hope is Levi can play in Rochester in the AHL to start the year and get as many games as possible, rather than sitting on the bench in Buffalo. Ellis comes to Buffalo with no NHL experience, but played really well in the AHL last season. With the Springfield Thunderbirds, Ellis recorded a 2.63 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in 42 games played.

Safe to say, this is not an ideal start for the Sabres. With them missing three forwards, potentially two defencemen, and a goalie the first week of the season is not great. In contrast, hopefully the depth can step-up and win some games while these players are out. We shall see if these replacements have what it takes to help the Sabres overcome their 0-1 start to the 2025-2026 season.

Main Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

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