Buffalo Sabres News

Gearing up to play their second game in as many nights, the Sabres will turn to Ellis between the pipes when they host the Habs on Thursday. Ellis was tagged with the loss in his last start, allowing three goals on 31 shots in a 4-3 loss to the Panthers on Monday. The 25-year-old rookie has proven to be a reliable backstop for Buffalo this season, posting a 5-4-0 record and an even .900 SV% across ten appearances. The Sabres enter action on Thursday at +105 on the money line.

Kesselring has not played the last seven games due to a lower-body injury and has resumed practicing the past several days. He was activated off of Injured Reserve on Thursday, but will miss at least one more game. The 25-year-old defenseman is averaging 15:14 time-on-ice and has zero points in 16 games.

Norris was injured in Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers and will not play on Thursday. It's unclear when Norris suffered the injury, but he did not take another shift after assisting on Rasmus Dahlin's goal at the 13:51 mark of the second period. Injuries have been a concern for Norris in recent seasons, but he remains productive when healthy. He has 17 points (6G / 11A) in 19 games this season.

Helenius was drafted 14th overall by Buffalo in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old Finnish forward is in his second professional season, but is still awaiting his NHL debut. He's had a solid season in the AHL with the Rochester Americans, scoring 30 points (9G / 21A) in 34 games.

Kesselring has not played the last seven games due to a lower-body injury and has resumed practicing the past several days. He was activated off of Injured Reserve on Thursday, which could indicate he is aiming to play in the evening against the Montreal Canadiens. The 25-year-old defenseman is averaging 15:14 time-on-ice and has zero points in 16 games.

It's unclear when Norris suffered the injury, but he did not take another shift after assisting on Rasmus Dahlin's goal at the 13:51 mark of the second period. We should get an update on Norris' status ahead of Buffalo's game against the Canadiens on Thursday.

Kozak has not played since suffering an upper-body injury in a 5-3 win over the Flyers back on December 18th. The 22-year-old Kozak has four points (2G / 2A) in 24 games this season. Jordan Greenway will sit in his place.

Greenway will be the odd-man out on Wednesday in order to make room for the return of Tyson Kozak (upper-body). Greenway has one goal and four assists in 29 games this season.

Luukkonen had the night off in Buffalo's previous game, but he will return to the crease on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 26-year-old Luukkonen has been solid in recent weeks, allowing three or fewer goals in all but two of his last 15 games (9-6-0), posting a serviceable 2.54 GAA and .909 SV%. The Sabres enter Wednesday's contest as -137 road favorites against a Flyers team that has been outscored 12-3 in their last two games (0-2-0).

Dunne played his first game in over a week on Monday, but will immediately head back to the sidelines, out for the next several weeks because of mid-body injury. The 27-year-old Dunne is averaging 9:31 time-on-ice and has four points (1G / 3A) in 28 games this season.

Jones failed to appear in a game during his recent call up to the Sabres and has been returned on loan to the Rochester Americans (AHL). The 25-year-old is having an incredibly successful run in the minors so far this season, with two goals and 30 points in 27 games played.

Luukkonen had the night off in Buffalo's previous game, but he will likely return to the crease on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 26-year-old Luukkonen has been solid in recent weeks, allowing three or fewer goals in all but two of his last 15 games (9-6-0), posting a serviceable 2.54 GAA and .909 SV%. The Sabres enter Wednesday's contest as -137 road favorites against a Flyers team that has been outscored 12-3 in their last two games (0-2-0).

Kesselring has not played the last six games due to a lower-body injury and has resumed practicing, but is still expected to miss at least one more game. The 25-year-old defenseman is averaging 15:14 time-on-ice and has zero points in 16 games.

Dunne played his first game in over a week last night, but will immediately head back to the sidelines because of mid-body injury. The 27-year-old Dunne is averaging 9:31 time-on-ice and has four points (1G / 3A) in 28 games this season.

Ostlund will take a seat on Monday as Josh Dunne draws back into the Sabres lineup. Ostlund has seven goals and five assists in 32 games this season.