The Buffalo Sabres released their injury report today, and one name in particular drew plenty of attention. Veteran forward Kyle Okposo is out indefinitely with a concussion, a frightening injury for someone with his history of brain injuries. The team also announced that Tage Thompson, who didn’t even make it through his season debut, will be out three to five weeks with a shoulder injury.
Okposo, 31, has suffered multiple head injuries over the last few years, including one that put him in the Neuro Surgical ICU at Buffalo General Hospital in 2017. That was followed by a concussion in 2018 and another one in February when he was struck with a hard punch from Anthony DeAngelo.
The Sabres are starting to look awfully thin at forward as Okposo and Thompson join Vladimir Sobotka on the sideline, meaning their pursuit of another top-nine option could be amplified in the coming days. The team could potentially get even more salary cap relief by putting Okposo on long-term injured reserve if he is going to miss at least a month, though that is not clear at this point.