Luukkonen returns to practice, Mittelstadt to join team Wednesday

Casey Mittelstadt will join the Sabres for practice on Wednesday wearing a non-contact sweater, coach Don Granato announced.
Mittelstadt did not participate in the team's first practice back from the All-Star break on Tuesday. He left following the first period of Buffalo's game in Colorado on Jan. 30.
Mittelstadt previously had surgery to repair an upper-body injury on Dec. 10. He has played seven games this season.
"It had nothing to do with directly related to the surgery," Granato said of this most recent absence. "The surgery was fine, but it was muscles around it. It was some fluid because of the intensity - we ratcheted him up to a higher tempo, the body responded different, which was natural, according to the doctors.
"So, he's got to go through and resolve that. He's been skating much better, he felt. ... He went through the rehab skate today and is cleared to join us back tomorrow. So, what that means from there, we'll take it day to day and see how he responds each day."

Mittelstadt was listed as week to week on the team's latest injury report, which was released during practice. View the report in its entirety in the tweet below.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Vinnie Hinostroza, both of whom were listed as day to day with lower-body injuries, practiced with the team. Hinostroza wore a yellow non-contact jersey and left before the session concluded.
"He wasn't comfortable finishing it," Granato said. "We'll get a report tomorrow to see how he feels."
Luukkonen was one of three goalies on the ice along with Craig Anderson and Dustin Tokarski. The 22-year-old had posted a .913 save percentage in nine games with the Sabres before sustaining a lower-body injury against Tampa Bay on Jan. 11.
"It was the first skate today, but I felt good," Luukkonen said. "Hopefully I'm coming back as soon as possible. Probably we'll know more tomorrow and go from there."

Zemgus Girgensons, who is listed as week to week with a lower-body injury, could join the team for practice at the end of this week or early next week, Granato said. Drake Caggiula (month to month) is collecting opinions on his upper-body injury, which has kept him out since Nov. 22.

Dahlin reflects on All-Star experience

Rasmus Dahlin said his All-Star reality finally set in when his name was announced for the Accuracy Shooting contest during the NHL Skills event inside T-Mobile Arena.
Dahlin rubbed shoulders with the world's best players, young and old. His competition in the Accuracy Shooting contest included Boston centerman Patrice Bergeron, who competed in his first All-Star Game in 2015 - when Dahlin was 14. The ice and the stands were speckled with the colors of 32 NHL teams.
It all hit him when his turn came to hit four foam targets, positioned in the corners of the net.
"That was probably the moment I was like, 'Oh, here we go. Don't mess up here,'" Dahlin said Tuesday.
Dahlin ended up hitting the targets on six attempts in 17.205 seconds, which was the time to beat when his turn concluded and the fourth-best among nine participants at the event's end. He beat Nashville goalie Juuse Saros between the pads during the All-Star Game the following afternoon.
"I've never scored a five-hole goal before as far as I remember," he said. "… It was a special feeling."

The moments were touchstones of a memorable weekend in Las Vegas for Dahlin, who at 21 was the second-youngest All-Star behind fellow No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes (20).
Dahlin spent ample time alongside countryman and fellow defenseman Victor Hedman, a three-time All-Star who showed him the ropes throughout the weekend. He spent the 3-on-3 All-Star Game on a line with Bergeron and Detroit center Dylan Larkin.
"Being able to hang out with those guys, talk to them and be around them makes you confident for sure," Dahlin said. "But you know, it's about showing up in the games and all that so it is a push for sure but I have to show it too."

About that celly …

Dahlin said he still owes Dion Dawkins a celly and intends to make good on his promise after he scores his next goal.
Dahlin met the Buffalo Bills left tackle, who was in Las Vegas for the Pro Bowl, after the NHL Skills event. Watch their interaction below.

"He was hilarious," Dahlin said. "It was awesome. After that I was like, 'Oh, what a great guy,' and every second of it we had a lot of fun. He made me show my personality on the camera, which was weird. It was great. It was really great."