BUFFALO – Oft-injured Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian, who played only 18 games last season, is day-to-day after suffering a lower-body injury Tuesday, coach Phil Housley said.
Housley said Bogosian, 28, will be reevaluated later today after leaving the Sabres’ 4-2 preseason loss to Columbus early.
Injuries, of course, have ravaged Bogosian. The Massena native has missed 114 games – a whopping 42 percent of Buffalo’s outings – since he joined the Sabres on Feb. 15, 2015.
Last season, a lower-body injury he suffered in the preseason finale sidelined him until Dec. 1. He then underwent season-ending hip surgery in February.
Housley said the injury isn’t related to Bogosian’s hip.
“He’s put a lot of time and work in this summer,” Housley said this morning inside KeyBank Center. “He changed his training routine. He’s done a terrific job, he’s been really good in camp. It’s just unfortunate. But we’re just, again, going to be cautious with everything with Zach.”
The Sabres have dealt with Bogosian carefully during training camp. Last week, they rested him a few days.
In other news, Housley said winger Conor Sheary, out since suffering an upper-body injury on the first day of camp, could practice Thursday.
The Sabres play a road tilt tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Many Penguins regulars, including superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, will play.
“It’s a chance for those guys to prove to management and stuff they can play in the league and they can play against the top guys in the world,” Sabres winger Scott Wilson said. “I know my first game against a full lineup I was super excited, ready to challenge the best.”
Here is tonight’s Sabres lineup:
Forwards
– Zemgus Girgensons, Vladimir Sobotka and Jason Pominville
– Wilson, Johan Larsson and Nick Baptiste
– Victor Olofsson, Rasmus Asplund and Tage Thompson
– Alexander Nylander, Casey Mittelstadt and Justin Bailey
Defense
– Marco Scandella and Rasmus Ristolainen
– Nathan Beaulieu and Taylor Fedun
– Lawrence Pilut and Matt Tennyson
Linus Ullmark will start in goal and be backed up by Scott Wedgewood.
Update: The Sabres sent five players – goalie Jonas Johansson and forwards Kyle Criscuolo, Andrew Oglevie, Danny O’Regan and C.J. Smith – to the Rochester Americans this afternoon.
They have 37 players – 20 forwards, 14 defensemen and three goalies – left in camp.
