ST. PAUL, Minn. – Don Granato and the Buffalo Sabres received more bad news on the injury front Thursday with defenseman Robert Hagg now out "month to month" because of a lower-body injury.
Hagg, 26, missed the third period of the Sabres' 4-2 win over Winnipeg on Tuesday and returned to Buffalo to be evaluated by doctors. He leads the team in hits (49) and blocked shots (56) while averaging 17:51 of ice time across 25 games. Hagg was acquired along with two draft picks, including a 2021 first-rounder, in the July trade that sent Rasmus Ristolainen to Philadelphia.
“We’re gonna miss him," Granato said following the Sabres' optional morning skate Thursday. "He gives us a shot blocker, he has some grit. So, there’s areas within his game and his identity that we will miss, obviously. And as a personality, we’re going to miss (him) a little bit here.”
With Hagg out, defenseman Colin Miller will draw into the lineup Thursday night against Minnesota in Xcel Energy Center. Winger Anders Bjork is a game-time decision with a non-Covid illness.
People are also reading…
A source told The News that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will start in goal Thursday night against the Wild (19-8-1), which puts Malcom Subban in line to play Friday in Pittsburgh. Minnesota's 39 standing points are tied for the most in the NHL, while its 19 wins trail only Toronto (20).
Right-shot defenseman Casey Fitzgerald was recalled from Rochester to replace Hagg on the roster. Fitzgerald, 24, had four goals and seven points in 21 games as a first-pairing defenseman with the Amerks this season. He was among the Sabres' final cuts in training camp and provides Granato with a seventh option on the blue line.
Fitzgerald won't make his NHL debut Thursday, but he's an option to play Friday in Pittsburgh.
“Casey’s a guy that we’ve watched, had a great training camp, did very well in preseason games," said Granato. "I’ve known him, I’ve had a history with him, so I’ve known him even longer."
A third-round pick of the Sabres in 2016, Fitzgerald signed his entry-level contract in 2019 after four seasons at Boston College. Additionally, Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt is also listed on the injury report as out "month to month" after recently undergoing surgery on an upper-body ailment.
Winger Alex Tuch was upgraded to 'week to week,' while winger Drake Caggiula and goalie Dustin Tokarski are facing the same timeline to return.
