BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Sabers coach Lindy Ruff has ruled defenseman Rasmus Dahlin out of Thursday night's game against the Winnipeg Jets because of back spasms.
Ruff did not provide any information on how long Dahlin might be sidelined. He said he hopes it's short-term, “but you never know.”
Dahlin left early in the third period and did not return Tuesday in a 5-4 loss to Colorado in which the Sabers blew a 4-0 lead and allowed four goals in the third period.
The injury, Ruff said, is related to the injury Dahlin suffered on the first day of training camp, which forced him to miss much of the preseason. Dennis Gilbert is expected to be in the squad instead of Dahlin. The Sabers also recalled defenseman Ryan Johnson from AHL Rochester on Thursday.
The player, the first overall pick in the 2018 draft, leads Buffalo's defense and ranks third on the team with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists). On Wednesday, Dahlin was named to the Swedish squad to represent the country in the NHL's upcoming Four-Nation Face-Off Tournament.
Injured Sabers defenseman Mattias Samuelsson and forward Jordan Greenway returned to the team for practice on Thursday. Samuelsson has been out of action since suffering a lower-body injury against Montreal on November 11th. Greenway is sidelined with an injury sustained Nov. 14 against St. Louis.
