BUFFALO – After playing Dec. 15 in Toronto, Sabres winger Jordan Greenway finally had enough. Instead of trying to play through the discomfort, he decided to undergo surgery to repair his mid-body injury.
Greenway, 27, wasn’t just gutting things out.
“Other things, I would say, started to be impacted,” Greenway said after participating in this morning’s optional pregame skate in KeyBank Center. “It was almost just going to be maybe sort of a domino effect. I just figured it was probably best to just get rid of all possibilities.”
Greenway, who plans to practice Saturday, has no timeline for when he could play again. He must participate in full-contact sessions before being cleared.
The Sabres have four games, starting with tonight’s against the Nashville Predators, before the NHL pauses its schedule for the 4-Nations Faceoff.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said it’s more likely the Canton native will return following the break.
“But you never know how a guy can progress,” he said.
The 6-foot-6, 231-pound Greenway has missed the last 19 games. He sat out 10 contests in late November and early December before playing four times.
Having surgery gives the oft-injured Greenway, one of the Sabres’ most physical forwards, some peace of mind.
“I don’t have to worry about it, do things to just kind of survive,” he said. “It’s nice I can come back and go full force.”
Greenway has compiled three goals and seven points in 20 games this season.
In other lineup news, Ruff said Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton has been sick and will miss his third straight game.
“We’ve had that bug going around,” he said. “He’s lost quite a bit of weight.”
Ruff said Clifton, who practiced at “half speed” Thursday, felt too ill to play in Tuesday’s 7-2 win over the Boston Bruins.