The Buffalo Sabres announced today that defenseman Mattias Samuelsson has suffered a lower-body injury and will be out on a week-to-week basis. Samuelsson exited the team’s 5-1 preseason victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets last night after blocking a shot. With the start of Buffalo’s regular season just over a week away, the team is likely to begin preparing for the possibility that it must begin 2026-27 without a key top-four defenseman.
Samuelsson, 26, is one of Buffalo’s top blueliners and his loss is a big blow to the team’s lineup. Samuelsson was expected to resume his role on the team’s top pairing alongside franchise face Rasmus Dahlin. Samuelsson had a career year in 2025-26, scoring 13 goals and 41 points while anchoring the team’s penalty kill. Samuelsson’s contributions on both ends of the ice helped power Buffalo to a massive second-half surge that saw the club not only end what was a league-leading playoff drought, but also go on an extended playoff run that saw them fall one overtime goal short of the Eastern Conference Final.
Other notes from the Atlantic Division:
The left side of the Sabres’ defense was dealt another blow during yesterday’s game as blueliner Olen Zellweger left the game with an upper-body injury. The team announced today that he has entered concussion protocol. Head coach Lindy Ruff said Zellweger was already feeling better today compared to the night of the game, and called that development “very encouraging.” While it’s entirely possible Zellweger is ready to go in time for the start of the regular season, the injuries suffered by him and Samuelsson mean there could be an opportunity for depth Sabres defensemen such as Ryan Johnson or Dennis Gilbert to step into the lineup at the start of the campaign.
Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan told the media today, including Michael Whitaker of The Hockey News, that star center Dylan Larkin has made “progress” in his recovery from an upper-body injury he suffered before the start of training camp, and added that while Larkin won’t play in the preseason game against the Sabres tomorrow, there is a chance he hits the ice on Saturday for the club’s preseason finale against the Blue Jackets. Larkin, 30, is Detroit’s No. 1 center who has an outstanding request to be traded from the team that has not yet been fulfilled. A career Red Wing, Larkin previously served as the team’s captain before losing the position in the aftermath of his trade request.