Sabres prospect Olivier Nadeau will be out four-to-six months after undergoing shoulder surgery, according to a report by Le Droit, a daily newspaper in Gatineau, Quebec.
A 6-foot-2 winger, Nadeau was unable to participate in the on-ice portion of Sabres development camp and had the procedure before departing Buffalo. He suffered the injury while leading his former junior club, Shawinigan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, to the Memorial Cup final.
The Sabres don’t have another player like Nadeau in their prospect pipeline. He frustrates defensemen on the forecheck, outmuscles opponents to get proper positioning in front of the net and has the vision to set up his linemates.
Nadeau, a Sabres' fourth-round draft pick 2021, totaled 39 goals and 94 points in 81 games between the regular season and playoffs. Following the remarkable postseason, Nadeau was traded by Shawinigan to the Gatineau Olympiques, whom he'll join following his recovery.
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The Sabres signed Nadeau to three-year, entry-level contract in May, but the NHL's development agreement with the Canadian Hockey League, which governs the three major junior leagues in Canada, bars players from competing in the American Hockey League until they turn 20 years old. Nadeau won't turn 20 until January 2023, so he's unlikely to start his professional career with the Rochester Americans until next spring.
