Practice Report | Skinner returns to the ice for Sabres practice 

Jeff Skinner was back on the ice for practice Monday at KeyBank Center, taking the next step in his recovery from an upper-body injury he sustained following a hit from Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon last Wednesday.

Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato will be following up with Skinner after practice and meeting with the medical staff but is uncertain of his availability for Thursday’s game against Toronto.  

“Jeff is still in a progression, and today was a big part of that progression to see where he’s at,” Granato said. “And so, it’s not certain he would be in tomorrow, but the progression today looked good and then he’ll follow up with medical and doctors to see where that leaves him.”

Skinner was reunited on a line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch as the Sabres are beginning to get back to full health following the return of Jack Quinn (Achilles). Jordan Greenway (upper body) and Zemgus Girgensons (lower body) are also progressing through their injuries and could be available before the holiday break.

“It’s always nice to be healthy,” Granato said. “And it is—it’ll be nice to get those guys back. You know, Skinner has a presence. Obviously, Greenway has a presence, and Girgensons. So, you know, it’s a bonus when you get them back and we look forward to having him back. That helps obviously when you have healthier bodies.”

Granato has been able to bring back some familiarity with the lines as the Sabres look forward to a fully healthy group for the first time this season. The Sabres’ “Kid Line” from last season consisting of JJ Peterka, Dylan Cozens, and Quinn was also reunited during Wednesday’s practice, which Granato thinks can spark a faster pace and consistency that more closely resembles last year’s offense that ranked third in the league with 3.57 goals per game.

“When you put Skinner out there today with Tuch and Thompson, they’re on the same page immediately with what they do up and down the rink because they played so long together,” Granato said. “And obviously, today was the first day with Jack Quinn back with Cozens and Peterka. And it’s just that familiarity that makes everything easier.”

The Sabres close out their two-game homestand Thursday when they host the Maple Leafs for the second night of WinterFest.

Tickets are available here. For more information on WinterFest festivities, click here.

Pregame coverage on MSG/MSG+ begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7. Radio coverage can be found on WGR 550.

Here’s more from Wednesday’s practice.

1. Here's how the group lined up for practice:

Forwards

53 Jeff Skinner – 72 Tage Thompson – 89 Alex Tuch

77 JJ Peterka – 24 Dylan Cozens – 22 Jack Quinn

12 Jordan Greenway – 37 Casey Mittelstadt – 9 Zach Benson

50 Eric Robinson – 19 Peyton Krebs – 21 Kyle Okposo

71 Victor Olofsson – 17 Tyson Jost

Defensemen

23 Mattias Samuelsson – 26 Rasmus Dahlin

25 Owen Power – 10 Henri Jokiharju

6 Erik Johnson – 75 Connor Clifton

33 Ryan Johnson

Goalies

1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

27 Devon Levi

31 Eric Comrie

2. Rasmus Dahlin pointed to the Sabres' wins over the best teams in the NHL in Vegas, Boston, and New York as reason for having confidence that the team will find its game and play more consistently. 

"We've shown that we can do it—that we can beat good teams—and that's why I have confidence in this group," he said. "We just got to work. Just got to get back to working hard and it's up to us now to do good things."