The practice plan was in place and coach Don Granato expressed excitement Monday to finally have time to introduce two recent additions to the Buffalo Sabres’ lineup, Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs, to the nuances they weren’t around to learn before the blockbuster November trade.
That excitement turned to concern Tuesday when Tuch, Krebs and winger Anders Bjork entered the National Hockey League’s Covid-19 protocols. The Sabres have six players unavailable – Jacob Bryson, Kyle Okposo and Casey Fitzgerald were added over the past week – and the list could continue to grow.
Defenseman Henri Jokiharju was held out of practice as a precaution because of uncertainty surrounding his test results. Granato told reporters following the on-ice session Tuesday that the club hoped to soon have clarity about Jokiharju’s status.
It was the second consecutive day when Granato put together a plan, only to have it foiled. Okposo was pulled off the KeyBank Center ice during practice Monday and, along with Fitzgerald, entered protocol soon after the team finished for the day.
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The Sabres are scheduled to host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday – Buffalo’s fourth game in 20 days – and Granato isn’t sure who he’ll have available.
“What excites me and it did over the summer and I said it, is the personnel we have here,” said Granato. “The growth potential that we have here. And this is stunting all of that, but that's OK. We're dealing with it. And I do believe we're going to be better because of it. I think, you know, it's always been my approach, even in life. Whatever is thrown at you is going to make you better. Don't hang your head. I've talked about it in this room. You're not going to get any pity.”
Each of the five players unavailable to the Sabres at the start of last week has exited protocol: Jeff Skinner, Vinnie Hinostroza, Zemgus Girgensons, Dylan Cozens and Mark Jankowski. Granato returned to the bench Saturday in Boston after testing positive for Covid-19 upon the team’s return from the holiday break.
Krebs and Tuch, both of whom were acquired in the Jack Eichel trade, appeared in three games last week. Krebs, 20, assisted on Tuch's first goal as a Sabre, and the duo provided a spark to a lineup that's been without center Casey Mittelstadt for much of the season.
The Sabres practiced Tuesday with 17 skaters – 12 forwards, five defensemen – and three goalies. Girgensons skated in a regular jersey for the first time since entering protocol, an early indication he’s been cleared for contact and in line to play Thursday night.
However, winger Drake Caggiula still wore a noncontact jersey and it’s yet to be determined if Colin Miller is ready to return from an undisclosed injury that kept him out of the lineup for three games last week.
Reinforcements will likely be needed from Rochester, but mass promotions aren’t easy under these circumstances. The Amerks are scheduled to host Syracuse in Blue Cross Arena on Wednesday night, and a snowstorm is expected to hit the Buffalo area late Wednesday into early Thursday.
There’s also the fear of bringing an infected player into a dressing room that’s already dealing with a potential outbreak. The Sabres' opponent Saturday, the Boston Bruins, had four enter protocol Tuesday: winger Jake DeBrusk and three staffers.
“That's the tricky thing,” said Granato. “You know, you kick that around, you say you get guys up, but what if there's stuff going through everywhere? So, every time you think of bringing somebody in, you're thinking, OK, what is somebody bringing in that you bring in? … We have a lot of information to digest from today going into tomorrow to get to Thursday, and I don't have many answers for you yet because of how dynamic this thing is and could still be before Thursday.”
The Amerks are also missing some players because of Covid-19 protocols, and winger Jack Quinn is returning from a bout with mono that kept him out of Rochester’s lineup since Nov. 27.
Granato said there was some thought to canceling practice Tuesday, but he decided to have the team skate after consulting with players, coaches and the medical staff. The Sabres are planning to skate again Wednesday, but as Granato has been reminded this week, little is certain as the NHL tries to complete an 82-game season during a pandemic.
“It’s really strange showing up to practice expecting to have a full line, and all of a sudden, three, four guys are pulled out of the locker room last second,” winger Brett Murray said. “So, it’s really strange, but what hasn’t been the past two years. It’s just another hurdle, that’s all.”
