Buffalo Sabres energy forward Zemgus Girgensons will miss the regular season after undergoing surgery today to repair a hamstring injury he suffered in the Sabres' Gold & Blue inter squad scrimmage on Monday afternoon.
Zemgus Girgensons underwent successful surgery today to repair a hamstring injury suffered during our scrimmage on Jan. 4.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 6, 2021
The expected recovery time for this injury is approximately six months.
Girgensons suffered the injury while attempting to angle a puck carrier during the scrimmage. Girgensons fell to the ice and left the scrimmage in obvious discomfort.
Girgensons, 26, signed a three-year, $6.6 million contract in October. Girgensons scored 12 goals and 7 assists in 69 games last season. Now that he is out long term with an injury, Girgensons' $2.2M AAV will be placed on LTIR.
Tobias Rieder filled in for Girgensons at even strength alongside Cody Eakin and right winger Kyle Okposo during Monday's practice.
After the morning session, Sabres head coach Ralph Kruger said that Rieder and rookie Dylan Cozens will be the candidates to replace Girgensons in the lineup. Cozens is in Buffalo right now after flying in from the World Junior Hockey Championships in Edmonton on Wednesday morning. Cozens led Team Canada to the silver medal at the WJC tournament. Cozens (first round 2019) and fellow Team Canada teammates and Sabres prospect Jack Quinn (first round 2020) flew to Buffalo on a private jet, therefore, they will have to quarantine for a minimal period of time. Cozens will inject immediate size (6'4" and 200 lbs.), scoring, speed, skill and defensive excellence to Buffalo's third line forward trio.
In seven games played at the World Juniors, Cozens scored 8 goal sand 8 assists. His 16 points ranked him second in tourney scoring behind Team USA's Trevor Zegras (18). Cozens landed 26 shots on goal, scored two power play goals and a game winning goal, and was +11. Cozens led all skaters with 8 goals scored at the WJC tournament. Cozens is the Yukon Goal Rush!
The Girgensons season-ending injury will also trigger the signing of center Riley Sheahan, who is attending Sabres camp on a professional tryout contract.
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The Sabres welcomed three players back to practice on Wednesday.
Captain Jack Eichel missed the first three days of training camp with an upper body injury. Eichel is fine and dandy and skated well in his training camp debut.
Sniping winger Victor Olofsson also return on Wednesday morning after missing the last two practices.
Taylor Hall finally got to skate with his new Sabres linemates Eichel and Olofsson. Needless to say, the trio looked fantastic while running through flow drills. The 4-9-68 line can make the puck dance! I feel bad (not really!) for enemy goalies this season!
Goalie Linus Ullmark missed the first four days of training camp due to immigration/COVID restrictions.
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