BUFFALO – Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, who has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, returned to practice this morning and expects to play Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
“I think I’ll be ready,” Dahlin said this afternoon in KeyBank Center.
The Sabres did well without Dahlin, their top defenseman, compiling a 1-0-2 record during their road trip.
Dahlin hasn’t played since shooting the puck and reaching for his lower back as he left the ice in last Monday afternoon’s 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers.
“He had a couple good days while we were gone and then got him back in practice, and see how he handles that today,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “But I thought he looked good.”
Some other injury updates from Ruff are below.
– Winger Jason Zucker, who hasn’t played this season after undergoing sports hernia surgery in the offseason, will likely make his season debut Wednesday.
“The plan is if a good day today and a good day tomorrow, he should be ready to go,” Ruff said. “So we know what he can bring. He’s had real good success with different players.”
Zucker practiced today at left wing alongside center Josh Norris and Konsta Helenius.
– Forward Justin Danforth missed today’s session with what Ruff called “a little bit of an upper-body (injury).”
“Just did some work with him off ice, and we’ll see how he is,” he said.
– Forward Tyson Kozak, who has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, practiced today.
“I thought he skated well in practice,” Ruff said.