BUFFALO – Among the 1,300 or so players who participated in NHL preseason games, Sabres center Josh Norris stood out as perhaps the most dynamic performer.
It can be hard to put much stock in exhibition contests, but the oft-injured Norris, who participated in Monday’s pregame skate, looked ready to seize his role as the Sabres’ top pivot following a full summer of training.
Then late in the season opener Oct. 9, he suffered an upper-body injury and has missed the last 18 games.
Monday marked Norris’ first time skating with his teammates. Winger Jason Zucker, who has missed the last seven games battling a virus, also joined him.
Neither forward played Monday against the Edmonton Oilers.
“It was tough going through that,” Norris said of his injury prior to the game in KeyBank Center. “Come here and just wanted to get off to a really good start. It seems like forever ago, but preseason, I got my game going and was feeling pretty good.
“Sometimes things happen you don’t really understand. I think that was really just a fluke thing.”
The Sabres also played without defenseman Michael Kesselring, who suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime road win against the Detroit Red Wings.
More on Kesselring later.
There’s no timeline for Norris or Zucker’s return. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Zucker could be available this weekend.
For Norris, 26, skating with his teammates again was a significant step.
“It was definitely a big step to skate with the team today,” said Norris, who scored three goals and a league-high seven points in four preseason outings.
When Norris went down, he was expected to be sidelined around eight weeks, so he’s ahead of schedule.
“He’s really encouraged because things have felt a lot better than he thought they were going to feel,” Ruff said. “I think that’s got some excitement in him.”
Norris has a history of injuries, having battled shoulder problems for years with the Ottawa Senators. The Michigan native has never played more than 66 games in a season.
After the Sabres acquired him in trade last season, he played just three games before an oblique injury ended his campaign in March.
During some difficult times recently, Norris said he leaned on his family, teammates and the team’s medical staff for support.
“I think it’s so important to have that,” he said. “But there’s still some tough days, for sure, no matter who’s around you. You’re just going to go through days (where it’s), ‘Yeah, I’m stuck with it and unable to play.’”
Meanwhile, Zucker, 33, said he was so sick he spent about 10 days in bed or on the couch doing nothing.
“It was a rough couple weeks, but doing better, so it’s nice to be back,” he said.
Naturally, Zucker, who’s listed at 198 pounds, lost some weight.
“That was obviously the worst part about it,” he said. “It’s been good to be back on the ice for a couple days trying to recoup and gain some strength, try to get some food, try to gain some weight back, try to get my conditioning back.”
In other news, Ruff said Kesselring, 25, would be evaluated again Monday.
“Going to be a little bit of time for him,” he said. “I don’t have a time frame yet.”
Kesselring, the Sabres’ biggest offseason acquisition, suffered a knee injury in the preseason and missed the first nine games. He compiled zero points in nine outings following his return before injuring himself when he hit Emmitt Finnie in the second period of Saturday’s win.
When he returned from his knee problem, he said he had never been injured in his career.
Now, Kesselring has already been sidelined twice this season.
“The knee injury he had set him back just trying to find his game again,” Ruff said.
Notes: The Sabres on Monday added an extra defenseman by recalling Zach Metsa from the Rochester Americans. Metsa, 27, played his first four NHL games earlier this season. The Sabres scratched him Monday. Jacob Bryson replaced Kesselring. … The Sabres also scratched winger Mason Geertsen and goalie Alex Lyon (both healthy). … Former Sabres prospect Matt Savoie started the game at left wing alongside enter Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. … Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin played his second game after returning from a leave of absence.