Sabres D Mattias Samuelsson out for season, F Jack Quinn to miss 6-8 weeks

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson needs surgery for an upper-body injury and will miss the rest of the NHL season, the team announced Sunday, and forward Jack Quinn will miss at least six weeks after having surgery to repair a lower-body injury.

Samuelsson, who skated much of this season on Buffalo’s top D-pair with All-Star Rasmus Dahlin, sat out two games after getting hurt Jan. 23 in a loss at Anaheim. He had missed two games the week prior after getting elbowed in the head by Vancouver’s Filip Horonek. The 23-year-old Samuelsson finished his fourth NHL season with one goal and seven points in 41 games.

Quinn, who had offseason surgery on a torn Achilles tendon and missed the first 31 games, did not sustain a re-injury nor significant knee damage, the Sabres disclosed Sunday after resuming practice following the All-Star break. Skating on Buffalo’s second line, Quinn has tallied five goals and 12 points in 17 games before getting hurt in the win at San Jose before the break. If Quinn can return to the lineup in mid-March, the Sabres will have about 17 games remaining. A full eight-week recovery timeline would leave closer than 10 games left for Quinn to play.

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After consecutive wins on the road going into the break, the Sabres (22-23-4) return Tuesday against the Dallas Stars to open a four-game homestand. They are currently 10 points out of playoff position in the Eastern Conference standings.

Rookie Zach Benson took Quinn’s place on the second line at Sunday’s practice, and Henri Jokiharju skated with Dahlin. With veterans Erik Johnson and Zemgus Girgensons nearing returns from injured reserve, the Sabres are not expected to call up a player from Rochester in the short term, coach Don Granato said. Defenseman Jacob Bryson was recalled when Johnson went on IR, and will be staying in Buffalo for a while.

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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.

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