Samuelsson (lower body) returns to ice with teammates

Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson skated alongside teammates on Friday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury during a Prospects Challenge game against New Jersey on Sept. 17.
Coach Don Granato said Samuelsson will not travel with the team for its game in New Jersey on Saturday.
"We'll decide after that where he's at," Granato said. "But just in talking to him after, he felt good."

Samuelsson, 21, made his NHL debut in April and played the final 12 games of last season with Buffalo. He parlayed that experience into a productive offseason and came to training camp with his sights set on establishing himself in a full-time role with the Sabres.
He sustained his injury while blocking a shot late during a 3-0 win against the Devils' prospects.
"He did everything he should've done (during the Prospects Challenge)," Granato said. "He was impressive, he was dominant in situations he should've dominated. So, he was injured, it's a bummer, it's part of our business unfortunately. But he did everything great to that point and he earned a lot respect from us.
"He showed us in the games he played at the end of last year, he internalized those, he went to work over the summer and came back bigger, stronger, better. And that's why I'm excited. It was a bummer for him when it happened but excited for him as a he works his way back."

Samuelsson, a second-round draft pick in 2018, said he thought often about his cup of coffee with the Sabres during the summer, whether he was reliving the experience with friends back home or channeling the lessons learned into his offseason workouts.
"I felt confident going into camp," Samuelsson said. "Getting that little taste last year, I felt I was actually in the running for pushing for a spot on the team on a nightly basis. Not that the chance was taken away or anything, but I just have to earn it in a different way now."