Don Granato and the Buffalo Sabres are expecting to be without two of their centers when their four-game West Coast trip begins Thursday night in Anaheim.
Cody Eakin joined the Sabres on the road after sitting out practice Wednesday in KeyBank Center, while Casey Mittelstadt is still recovering from an upper-body injury and did not fly with the team to California.
Granato told reporters that Eakin is expected to be in the lineup at some point on the trip – Thursday is unlikely given the 30-year-old center's three-game absence and lack of practice time – but Mittelstadt is progressing enough to inspire hope that he could be ready to skate with the Sabres when they return to Buffalo late next week. Their first game following the trip is against Detroit on Nov. 6.
“I did not find out any more other than it’s encouraging, like the healing process is going as good as we’d hoped," Granato said of Mittelstadt. "With Mittsy there’s that day-by-day checking and so he’s definitely going in the right direction. ... It’s progressing and the hope is very shortly or immediately when we get back that he’d be able to integrate with us right away.”
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Mittelstadt, 22, hasn't practiced or appeared in a game with the Sabres since suffering the injury during their opening-night win against the Montreal Canadiens. It appeared that Mittelstadt was slashed on the wrist or forearm while attempting an outlet pass to Vinnie Hinostroza with 9:53 remaining in the second period.
The injury occurred after Mittelstadt established himself as the Sabres' No. 1 center during training camp, beginning the season on the top line alongside Hinostroza and Jeff Skinner.
Eakin's impressive start to the season was put on pause when he crashed into the post during a practice drill last week. He missed games against Boston, New Jersey and Tampa Bay. Eakin had one goal and one assist during the team's 3-0 start, averaging 13:42 of ice time and winning 60.7% of faceoffs.
In their absence, Granato's four centers have been Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson, Arttu Ruotsalainen and Zemgus Girgensons.
Additionally, defenseman Mattias Samuelsson joined the Rochester Americans for practice Tuesday. Samuelsson, 21, has been out with a lower-body injury since blocking a shot in the opening game of the Prospects Challenge on Sept. 17. Samuelsson didn't join the Amerks on their road trip to Canada, but he's expected to skate with them upon their return.
Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju remains out because of a lower-body injury and there isn't a definitive timeline for his return.
On the road
The Sabres (4-1-1) won’t be restricted to their hotel while on the road in Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose and Seattle. Protocols now allow players to dine in restaurants, which gives players the ability to sit together and build camaraderie.
The trip will include on-ice challenges – including the Sabres’ first game in the Kraken’s Climate Pledge Arena on Nov. 4 – but it’s also an opportunity to continue to foster relationships. While the team’s younger players spend ample time together away from the rink in Buffalo, older guys with families can't do so as often.
“It’ll be a lot of fun, actually, I’m not going to lie,” said defenseman Robert Hagg. “I’m looking forward to this trip and go out west, spend some time with the teammates and go out to dinners and feel like normal again. So, it’ll be a lot fun, get to see the sun a little bit, too. It doesn’t hurt.”
Matchup
The Sabres’ first opponent, the Ducks (2-4-1), squandered a lead late in the third period Tuesday by allowing a pair of goals 19 seconds apart to lose to Winnipeg, 4-3. Anaheim has surrendered the fifth-most goals in the NHL, but its offense has been propelled by a power play that was seventh in the league before Wednesday's games.
During the final practice before the trip, Granato used the same lines and pairings that defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-1, on Monday.
No changes to Sabres’ lines/pairings at practice:Skinner-Cozens-HinostrozaAsplund-Thompson-OlofssonBjork-Ruotsalainen-HaydenCaggiula-Girgensons-OkposoDahlin-ButcherBryson-MillerHagg-PysykWolanin rotating in. Anderson, Tokarski the goalies.
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) October 27, 2021
