Practice Report | Skinner misses practice with upper-body injury 

Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner missed Wednesday’s practice at LECOM Harborcenter due to an upper-body injury, the team announced.

Coach Don Granato said Skinner had imaging done and the team will wait for the results for more information on his status.

“Yeah, we won’t know until we get the imaging and then the final doctors look at it and assess it,” Granato said. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to be long – that’s the hope, and we can only stick to that right now.”

Skinner skated 15:42 against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, recording one goal, one assist, and three shots.

The forward currently leads all Sabres skaters with 17 goals in 2023-24 and ranks second on the team in points with 33, behind Casey Mittelstadt.

Granato also provided updates on Kyle Okposo (lower body) and Victor Olofsson (illness) as they near returns from their ailments.

“Kyle was much better today. I’ll have another conversation with him – I talked with him a little bit before we got off – and talk to our medical team,” Granato said. “And Vic, similar, getting back into it. They both were good today and today was a big day for them.”

Buffalo’s homestand continues Thursday against the Ottawa Senators as the Sabres will sport their black-and-red third jerseys inside KeyBank Center.

The game will mark the third meeting between the two teams this season after they split their first two matchups in Ottawa.

Tickets for the game are available here.

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

Here's more from practice.

1. Olofsson skated in Skinner's place while Tage Thompson returned to his usual spot alongside Alex Tuch after swapping with Mittelstadt against the Kraken. Mittelstadt went back to skating between Jordan Greenway and Zach Benson.

Here's how the group lined up:

Forwards

71 Victor Olofsson – 72 Tage Thompson – 89 Alex Tuch

77 JJ Peterka – 24 Dylan Cozens – 22 Jack Quinn

12 Jordan Greenway – 37 Casey Mittelstadt – 9 Zach Benson

28 Zemgus Girgensons – 19 Peyton Krebs – 21 Kyle Okposo / 50 Eric Robinson

Defensemen

26 Rasmus Dahlin – 23 Mattias Samuelsson

25 Owen Power – 6 Erik Johnson

75 Connor Clifton – 10 Henri Jokiharju / 33 Ryan Johnson

Goalies

1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

27 Devon Levi

2. Defenseman Ryan Johnson has been a healthy scratch for the Sabres in their last three games. Granato said that he expects Johnson to return to the lineup against the Senators on Thursday, but the decision isn’t final yet.

The 22-year-old has appeared in 22 games for Buffalo this season, recording two assists, a plus-2 rating, and 14 minutes of ice time per game.

Granato shared how gaining a new perspective can help Johnson grow.

“You know, he’s a young player. So, anytime you do have a different perspective, it usually does help you,” he said.

3. Tuch has worn an “A” as an alternate captain in the team’s last two games with Okposo out due to injury.

Following practice, Granato explained why the coaching staff made the decision to give Tuch the letter and what he means to the team. Granato said the coaches had thought about giving Tuch the “A” prior to his two-point performance in the Sabres’ win over Montreal last Thursday due to his “many good qualities.”

“… There’s lots of guys in the locker room that look up to Alex and that was probably the most important part of it,” he said.

“He has so many good qualities, obviously. And he’s a great communicator, so for me and the coaches, he’s a help in that regard. And he communicates well to his team and teammates, and he’s got a lot of experience, and he works hard. And again, I could go on and on about why. So, many reasons. It was an easy decision at that end.”

Granato believes the 27-year-old’s perseverance and love of the game and team has allowed him to get back to speed after dealing with a nagging injury in December and playing the last three games through an illness.

“You know, he’s a guy that collects a lot of energy from others,” Granato said. “He’s inspired by others, and he inspires others and so he’s always in it. ... He’s never satisfied if he’s not playing the way he needs to play and he takes it hard when he’s not because he cares.”

4. Granato said after practice that the group needs to manage its frustration after showing signs of losing its composure in the Sabres’ 5-2 loss to the Kraken on Tuesday.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s not real conducive – good does not come from being frustrated really,” he said. “So, it’s an ongoing battle. And you know, when you have competitive people, lots of times that’s the case – they get frustrated faster. So, you know, you’ve got to manage it every day. You’ve got to manage it. That’ll never ever go away as guys demand more and want more."