BUFFALO, N.Y. - Buffalo Sabres forward Ville Leino has not played this season due to a hip injury. He was placed on injured reserve before Thursday night’s game at the Carolina Hurricanes, but Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said he does not anticipate Leino needing surgery.
"There's no talk about surgery right now. We might as well just squash that," Ruff said. "Maybe down the road it happens; I don't know. Right now, there are some other treatment options that are possible."
Leino took the ice this morning at First Niagara Center in an optional skate with Cody McCormick, who also is on injured reserve, and anticipated healthy scratches Matt Ellis, TJ Brennan and Mike Weber. The Sabres and Hurricanes face each other in the second game of a back-to-back home-and-home series tonight at 7 p.m. Carolina won last night’s contest, 6-3.
Ruff told the media after this morning’s team meeting that Leino has been re-examined and had an MRI eaxam. The MRI looked “OK.” Among other treatments, they’ve tried giving Leino some rest.
"These hip things are things that can go in a lot of different directions," Ruff said. "We've had one player last year that had the same treatment Ville's going through and has been good ever since."
Leino skated for 20 minutes today before his hip started to tighten up again, according to Ruff. No timetable has been set as to when he will return to the lineup.
"We're going to do everything we possibly can to get him healthy," Ruff said. "We're just going to see where it goes."
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