The Buffalo Sabres are off to a pretty good start this season, and will now get part of their leadership group back on the ice. Zach Bogosian has been activated from injured reserve and will suit up for his season debut tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. The team has assigned Matt Tennyson to the minor leagues to make room on the roster.
At one point in time, Bogosian was seen as a top two-way defenseman in the NHL and one of the league’s up and coming stars. That point what quite some time ago though, and the 28-year old has struggled to stay healthy over the last several years. Playing in just 18 games last season with the Sabres, he registered a single point and was a complete question mark coming into training camp. Bogosian even responded directly to some of his doubters, indicating that he was working hard to get back to full strength and ready for the season. Now he’ll get a chance to show the entire world that he can still be a top-four defenseman in the NHL and log the big minutes that the Sabres desperately need him to.
Though Rasmus Dahlin has been as advertised and is already averaging nearly 19 minutes a night, the team could really use another option to use on the penalty kill and at even strength. Nathan Beaulieu is currently averaging fewer than 14 minutes of even-strength action, while Casey Nelson isn’t too far ahead of that. It’s Nelson that’s coming out of the lineup tonight, and who could eventually lose his spot completely if Bogosian can prove his health. That’s still certainly a question, but it’s one that the Sabres will eagerly await the answer to later tonight.
Wonder how long it will be before he’s put back on IR.