Nicolas Aube-Kubel has played one game for Buffalo. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Nicolas Aube-Kubel close to playing; Zach Benson out injured

BUFFALO – After winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel suffered a lower-body injury, believed to be a knee sprain, in the season opener Oct. 4, the Sabres said he would be sidelined three to six weeks.

On Tuesday morning, 18 days after going down, Aube-Kubel rejoined his teammates on the KeyBank Center ice prior to their 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars.

“I’m actually shocked,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “I’m really impressed that he’s back.”

Aube-Kubel, 28, could be back in the lineup this weekend or next week. The Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday afternoon and the Florida Panthers on Monday.

“He’s going to get three or four good days (of practice),” Ruff said. “If he’s not ready by the weekend, he’ll be ready by mid-week.”

Aube-Kubel said he’s aiming for Saturday.

“I’ll see how the practice feels,” he said. “I feel already strong and good, so that’s good news, but it’s way harder to be game ready, you know? But good progress so far.”

Aube-Kubel has been skating by himself all week.

“That went well, so I was pushing to practice with the team as fast as possible,” he said. “I kind of missed those guys when they were on the road, so it’s nice to be back already.”

Aube-Kubel was injured on an innocent-looking play when he tried to hit New Jersey Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic in the Sabres’ 3-1 loss in Prague, Czechia.

“Then I missed the hit and I think my skate got caught in his, and so as I tried to turn to my left, my left foot was kind of behind me and just tweaked on the ice,” said Aube-Kubel, who signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract July 1.

When the Sabres returned to Buffalo, he underwent an MRI. He said he has a “grade-two” and is wearing a knee brace, so connect the dots.

“I had the same injury my first year professional in Lehigh Valley, so I kind of knew a little bit what was the deal,” he said. “Now I’m just trying to get used to the brace, the knee brace, and trying to get back as fast as possible.”

Aube-Kubel enjoyed a fast start in the preseason, earning his keep alongside alongside Sam Lafferty and Beck Malenstyn, two other newcomers acquired to add grit and speed to the fourth line.

“Feeling great,” Aube-Kubel said. “Hopefully that injury doesn’t slow me down a little bit.”

Peyton Krebs has been centering the fourth line, with Lafferty, who began the season in the middle, playing right wing.

In other injuries news, winger Jordan Greenway returned Tuesday from a lower-body injury that sidelined him one game. Meanwhile, winger Zach Benson, who has been battling a lower-body injury, missed the contest.

Benson, who has zero points this season, sat out the Sabres’ second game in Prague.

“Zach is still not right,” Ruff said. “He’s been nursing this now since Prague, watching his game. I had a long discussion with him this morning and I really feel, and now he feels the same way, that he’s being affected by what he’s dealing with and the best is we give him today.

“We’ve got four days to see if we can get him in a better place where it doesn’t affect his play. I give him a lot of credit for trying to play, but it has definitely affected his play. We’ve got to get him right.”

Tuesday’s game kicked off a four-game home stand and a stretch in which the Sabres play eight of their next 10 contests at KeyBank Center.

The schedule makers provided the Sabres, who finished over .500 at home last season for the first time since 2019-20, an early opportunity to pile up some points.

“Really it’s where a lot of teams feed off of,” Ruff said. “We have to become one of those teams that feeds off the home ice and playing in your own building. So one game at a time, but we know that this is an important stretch, for sure.”

Notes: The Sabres also scratched defensemen Jacob Bryson and Dennis Gilbert (both healthy). … Bills offensive tackle Alec Anderson took off his shirt and chugged a beer when he and some teammates banged the Sabres drum to rile up the crowd at the beginning of the game. … Former Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is in his first season with Dallas.

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