BUFFALO – Tyler Myers’ season isn’t over yet. The Sabres defenseman said the broken ribs that sidelined him the final 10 games have mostly healed. The 24-year-old will likely accept an invitation to play for Team Canada at next month’s world championship.
Myers crashed into the net March 25 in Montreal. He didn’t reveal his injury until Monday.
“It’s coming along quite well,” Myers said as the Sabres cleaned out their lockers and held end-of-season meetings inside the First Niagara Center. “I had a week of hope after it happened. It turned out we found a couple of broken ribs. It wasn’t the best news, but I’m feeling pretty good right now. Another week or two it should be good.”
Myers said he was “pretty close” to returning to Buffalo’s lineup. He planned to talk to Canadian officials later Monday. He played in the 2010 world championship following his rookie season.
Here are five updates on Sabres who couldn’t finish the season. With the schedule finally over, most players will reveal what happened to them.
– Goalie Jhonas Enroth said he sprained his right MCL when Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher hit him March 16.
“They told me four to six weeks,” he said. “(Sunday) was four weeks. So it’s starting to get a little bit better. I should be turning the corner here in the next couple days. I’m feeling pretty good right now.”
– Goalie Nathan Lieuwen, who has a scary concussion history, said he’s recovering well from the one he sustained last Sunday in Philadelphia. The rookie, who was in good spirits, wouldn’t rule out playing again this season if Rochester advances in the playoffs.
– Winger Chris Stewart re-injured his right ankle during his first shift Saturday in Boston.
“I just kind of toe-picked and tweaked it the wrong way,” he said. “Just a precaution, just shut it down. It’s just about getting healthy and having a good offseason and coming back strong next year.”
– Defenseman Alexander Sulzer suffered the first concussion of his career March 13 in Carolina.
“It’s the first one,” he said. “So I didn’t know what to expect. It’s not getting better as fast as I was hoping.”
– Goalie Michal Neuvirth would only say he sustained a lower-body injury March 13. Neuvirth finished that game and kept practicing before sitting out a few days. He returned briefly but the Sabres quickly shut him down for the season.
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Since the Sabres’ 51 points ranked dead last in the NHL, they have a 25 percent chance of winning the No. 1 overall pick in tonight’s NHL Draft Lottery in Toronto, according to the league.
Thirteen of the 14 non-playoff teams have a chance at the top pick. The New Jersey Devils can’t win the lottery – they’re slated to pick 30th – although they’re still participating in it. If they win, there will be an immediate re-draw.
Only six times since the NHL introduced the lottery in 1995 has the worst team retained the top pick. It hasn’t happened since the Edmonton Oilers kept it in 2010.
The rest of the lottery odds:
– Florida Panthers – 18.8 percent
– Edmonton Oilers – 14.2 percent
– Calgary Flames – 10.7 percent
– New York Islanders – 8.1 percent
– Vancouver Canucks – 6.2 percent
– Carolina Hurricanes – 4.7 percent
– Toronto Maple Leafs – 3.6 percent
– Winnipeg Jets – 2.7 percent
– Anaheim Ducks (from Ottawa) – 2.1 percent
– New Jersey Devils – 1.5 percent
– Nashville Predators – 1.1 percent
– Phoenix Coyotes – 0.8 percent
– Washington Capitals – 0.5 percent
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The Sabres will likely send winger Nick Deslauriers, goalies Connor Knapp and Andrey Makarov and defensemen Mark Pysyk and Rasmus Ristolainen back to Rochester today. The Americans need just one point to clinch an AHL playoff berth with two regular-season games left.
Update: The Sabres have sent those players, Lieuwen and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to the Amerks. Ruhwedel suffered a concussion the same game as Lieuwen.
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Sabres winger Drew Stafford said he could play for Team USA at the world championship.
“That’s a possibility but I haven’t decided yet,” he said.
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Sabres coach Ted Nolan and general manager Tim Murray will hold an end-of-season news conference this afternoon.