Evening Notes: Kulich, Burns, Canucks

Buffalo Sabres center Jiri Kulich offered the most encouraging update on Tuesday regarding his health, explaining that he underwent a procedure at the Mayo Clinic to remove a blood clot, as reported by Mike Harrington of TBN Sports. The clot kept him out of the Sabres lineup all but 12 games of his 2025-26 season, but thankfully Kulich said he expects to be back in the lineup next fall.  Speaking publicly for the first time since November at the Sabres’ end-of-season media availability, the 22-year-old said doctors in Minnesota fully extracted the clot roughly two months ago. He couldn’t skate for a month afterward and admitted he had put on weight during the layoff, but he is now in his fourth week back on the ice and said he can “do pretty much everything right now.” His message to fans was direct, saying, “I’ll be able to play hockey again.”

The recovery cost him what would have been a major personal milestone. Kulich was widely projected as Czechia’s second-line winger at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Additionally, Kulich missed his first taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as Buffalo pushed Montreal to a Game 7 overtime in the Eastern Conference semifinals. However, he stayed around the team throughout the run and said his teammates treated him “like family” through the ordeal.

His return matters significantly for Buffalo’s 2026-27 outlook. Kulich scored 15 goals as a rookie in 2024-25 and had three goals and five points in his 12 games this year before he was shut down. He remains on his entry-level deal at an $886,666 cap hit through next season, and slots back into a center group that now includes Zach Benson, Konsta Helenius, Josh Norris, and deadline addition Sam Carrick, giving Buffalo a much-needed depth and skill boost down the middle as the Sabres try to build on the franchise’s most successful season in 15 years.

Additional Notes:

• Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice, per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. He had sat out some on-ice sessions following Colorado’s series-clinching 4-3 OT win over Minnesota in Game 5, and was listed as day-to-day after missing Saturday’s practice. He should be ready for Game 1 of the Western Conference Final against Vegas on Wednesday. Through nine playoff games, he has 3 assists, 14 SOG, 6 blocks, and 13 hits.
• On a day that saw new general manager Ryan Johnson clean house behind the bench, firing head coach Adam Foote and assistants Scott Young, Kevin Dean, and Brett McLean after a 25-49-8 last-place finish, Johnson also confirmed that assistant general managers Cammi Granato and Émilie Castonguay will remain in their roles, per Harman Dayal with the Athletic. The retention provides a measure of continuity inside an organization otherwise gutted at the top this spring, with Jim Rutherford stepping down as president of hockey operations, GM Patrik Allvin dismissed, and now the coaching staff turned over. Castonguay became the first woman to serve as an NHL assistant general manager when the Canucks hired her in January 2022, with Granato, a Hockey Hall of Famer, joining not long after. Both received extensions in March 2024 under the previous front office and have handled significant responsibilities in scouting oversight, player development, and contract and cap management.