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Sabres Activate Zach Benson, Assign Isak Rosen To AHL

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Ahead of today’s game, the Buffalo Sabres shared that forward Isak Rosen is headed to AHL Rochester, and in a corresponding move, fellow forward Zach Benson has been activated off injured reserve. 

It had been speculated yesterday that Benson was nearing a return, and now Buffalo eagerly welcomes back the skilled youngster ahead of a big matinee tilt hosting Carolina. Sidelined with a lower-body injury throughout the month, the 20-year-old returns with a point-per-game pace in eight games so far, all assists. Somewhat unusually for a player drafted 13th overall (2023), Benson wasted no time becoming an NHLer, already with 154 games to his name at age 20. The winger has not yet jumped off the page statistically, with a career high of 30 points, but now healthy, Benson could be in for a major breakout going into 2026. 

On paper, the move to send down Rosen is a bit of a head scratcher. The 22-year-old former first round pick has shown serious improvement so far this year, with seven points in ten games, especially while filling in during Benson’s absence. However, with waiver exemptions in mind, the choice essentially came down to Rosen or Noah Ostlund, another first round selection. Head Coach Lindy Ruff has opted to keep the true center Ostlund in the lineup, set to hold things down on the third line today. Elsewhere, 26-year-old depth forward Joshua Dunne also appears set on Buffalo’s fourth line for the foreseeable future, as clearly they chose Rosen to go down, not risking losing Dunne on waivers. 

Such a transaction for Rosen may be short-term, but Rochester will be glad to have the Swede for the time being. Despite playing in half the games as his counterparts, Rosen is right amongst the Americans’ leaders in points, with 12 in eight games. Buffalo’s performance this afternoon may indicate if another shake-up is in order, with Rosen coming back sometime before December.

Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Benson, McAvoy

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While the Maple Leafs had both Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies available at practice yesterday, it appears they’ll be without both of them for at least one more game.  Head coach Craig Berube told reporters including TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link) that both forwards are considered as doubtful for tonight against Montreal.  Matthews has missed the last week and a half with a lower-body injury while Knies hasn’t played since last weekend due to a lower-body injury of his own.  Both players are key cogs in Toronto’s top-five attack (in terms of goals scored) with Matthews being tied for second on the team in goals while Knies sits third in points but they’ll have to wait another game at least before returning.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • After welcoming back Jason Zucker last night against Chicago, the Sabres should get another key winger back on Sunday versus Carolina. Head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters including Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic (Twitter link) before last night’s game that winger Zach Benson probably could have suited up in that one but they elected to be cautious and give him a couple of extra days of rest.  Benson has missed a little more than three weeks with his lower-body injury but had been a strong playmaker beforehand, picking up eight assists in as many games.
  • Earlier this week, Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy underwent facial surgery after taking a redirected puck to the face against Montreal. While there’s no firm timeline for a return, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan recently reported (Twitter link) that the expectation is that he should be cleared to return for the Olympics in February.  McAvoy was part of Team USA’s entry for the 4 Nations Face-Off last winter (before being injured midway through the event) and should have a strong chance of making the Olympic roster which will be announced in early January.

Injury Notes: Benson, Strome, Nylander

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Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson has been among the team’s best players in this early portion of the 2025-26 season, but despite his brilliance, he’s had some trouble staying on the ice. Injuries forced Benson to miss the first three games of the Sabres’ season, and since his return the club has bounced back from its 0-3-0 start to record a 5-4-3 record. They’ll have to sustain that momentum without Benson, though, as the forward was placed on IR yesterday with a lower-body injury. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff provided some more detail on Benson’s absence, via Buffalo Hockey Beat’s Bill Hoppe, stating that Benson is likely to miss just a week and therefore isn’t likely to see his absence extend beyond the timeline mandated by his IR placement.

Ruff did note, per The Hockey News’ Michael Augello, that Benson has been managing his injury for the past few games, and it’s gotten to the point where he’s unable to play and needs that time to recover. Benson has been very good to start the season, registering eight assists in eight games. He had occupied a spot on the Sabres’ top line and first power play unit, and in response to Benson’s absence, Ruff shook up the lines for the team’s shootout victory last night. The player who Buffalo recalled to take Benson’s spot – 2021 first-rounder Isak Rosen – scored his first NHL goal to give the Sabres a lead late in the first period of yesterday’s game.

Other injury updates from around the NHL:

  • While the Sabres were forced to manage the absence of one of their top scorers in yesterday’s game, the Washington Capitals dealt with the reverse: the return from injury of one of their top offensive talents. Center Dylan Strome made his return last night after a lower-body injury cost him the chance to play in two Capitals contests. Strome is Washington’s most important center, and he led the team in scoring last season. The 2015 No. 3 overall pick scored 82 points in 82 games last season, has 11 points in 10 games this year, and also scored a goal last night in Buffalo.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs star winger William Nylander missed another game due to his lower-body injury. The 29-year-old has been managing the injury for some time, his classification originally beginning as a game-time decision on Oct. 27 before deteriorating to an “out” designation for each of the Maple Leafs’ last two games. Nylander has been Toronto’s best player early this season with 15 points in nine games. While last night was a difficult one for Toronto sports overall, the Maple Leafs managed to register a strong 5-2 win in Nylander’s absence.

Sabres Recall Isak Rosen, Place Zach Benson On IR

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6:34 p.m.: The corresponding move is an injured reserve placement for Zach Benson, who left last night’s loss to the Bruins late in the third period with an undisclosed injury, per Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News. The IR placement rules him out for the Sabres’ next three games, making him available for activation on Nov. 8. A previous injury has limited the 20-year-old to eight appearances this season, but he’s clicking at a point per game with eight assists.

6:12 p.m.: The Sabres have recalled winger Isak Rosen from AHL Rochester, the team announced. With no open roster spots, there’s a corresponding transaction still to come.

Regardless of whether he’s coming up for an injury concern or another reason, the recall is more than earned. The first month of 2025-26 has marked a breakthrough for Rosen, who’s otherwise failed to establish a clear path to an NHL job since being drafted No. 14 overall in 2021. The 6’0″ winger is currently the AHL’s scoring leader with five goals, seven assists, and 12 points through eight games for Rochester.

That’s not to say Rosen never made any progress in his development. His scoring numbers have steadily increased since arriving in North America in 2022. After posting a 14-23–37 scoring line in 66 appearances in his first season in Rochester, he upped his output to a 20-30–50 line in 67 games in 2023-24 and again to a 28-27–55 line in 61 games last year. It’s been a bit of a slow burn for the talented scorer, but he’s now pushing for a job in a way Buffalo can’t ignore without giving him at least one more chance at making an NHL impact.

But during Rosen’s recalls over the last two years, the Sabres haven’t given him much of a leash. He’s averaged only 9:09 of ice time per game and has only one assist in 15 career appearances as a result. When or if he slots into the lineup this time around, it’ll be telling to see whether head coach Lindy Ruff still buries him in fourth-line minutes or gives him a legitimate look at top-nine duties that he’s better suited for.

East Notes: Luchanko, Benson, Slavin

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According to a new article from Anthony Di Marco of the Daily Faceoff, the Philadelphia Flyers aren’t expected to retain Jett Luchanko for the duration of the season if he doesn’t rise out of a fourth-line role. While Philadelphia’s front office believes Luchanko could “hold his own” in a bottom-six role, they will need to see a breakout from him if they’re to keep him beyond the nine-game threshold, which would burn the first year off of his entry-level contract.

The breakout the Flyers were expecting to see hasn’t come yet. The former 13th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft has gone scoreless through his first two games of the season, averaging 8:15 of ice time. Still, it’s difficult to see a pathway upward for Luchanko even if he does perform better, especially if they’re adamant on keeping him at the center position.

There’s little chance of the Flyers breaking up the line of Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink, which has become a solid identity line for the team. The Flyers could conceivably move Trevor Zegras back to the wing, though they were steadfast in their belief that he could be a center when they acquired him this past summer. Further, given his defensive value and play in the faceoff dot, they’re unlikely to isolate Sean Couturier to fourth-line minutes.

Given the situation in front of him and the minimal time to accomplish such a task, it’s more than likely that Philadelphia will reassign Luchanko back to the OHL’s Guelph Storm in the next week or two. Unfortunately, despite his unenviable situation, he wouldn’t be entering a better situation in Guelph. Although he’d command far more playing time, the Storm aren’t expected to be a competitive team this season.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Although he wasn’t put on the team’s injured reserve to start the season, Zach Benson has yet to make his debut with the Buffalo Sabres this year. That’s expected to change tomorrow. According to Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald, Benson is likely to enter the lineup tomorrow night against the Ottawa Senators. Unfortunately, unless he has found another offensive level to his game, Benson shouldn’t be expected to help with the Sabres’ offensive woes to begin the campaign. Through his first two years, he’s scored 21 goals and 58 points in 146 games, averaging 14:40 of ice time.
  • Yesterday, the Carolina Hurricanes announced that defenseman Jaccob Slavin is suffering from a lower-body injury, but were relatively vague regarding the severity. Today, in a small update, head coach Rod Brind’Amour said, “He went for some more testing. I think we’re just going to keep him out for a while. I don’t think it’s super serious, but he doesn’t quite feel right. So, for right now, he’s not on this trip.“

Snapshots: Sabres Injuries, Plattner, Blackwood

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The Buffalo Sabres didn’t have an ideal start to their 2024-25 campaign last night, suffering a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the New York Rangers. But perhaps even more worrying than the final scoreline was an injury suffered late in the game by first-line center Josh Norris. Today, the Sabres issued an update on Norris’ status, as well as the status of other key injured Sabres in advance of their game Saturday in Boston. According to the Sabres, Norris “is being evaluated and is not expected to play tomorrow,” while Zach Benson is confirmed to not be playing tomorrow, and Owen Power, who has been out with an illness, is hopeful to return for tomorrow’s game.

The key storyline here involves Norris, as his health has been a persistent nagging issue throughout his NHL career. Norris has undergone three surgeries on his left shoulder since 2019, and his shoulder issues have caused him to miss significant time, such as in the 2022-23 season when he got into just eight total games. The Sabres have classified the injury as “upper-body,” so we don’t know for sure at this stage if the injury has anything to do with Norris’ shoulder, but nonetheless it’s certainly not a positive development that Norris is already facing bad injury luck so early in what is a hugely important season for himself and the Sabres as a whole.

Other notes from around the league:

  • San Jose Sharks owner Hasso Plattner spoke to the media about the Sharks in person yesterday, something notable as according to San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng, Plattner has not held such a media availability “in perhaps a decade.” Plattner spoke on various topics, expressing optimism about the direction of the Sharks and explaining in more detail the thought process behind some of the franchise’s bigger recent decisions. He also spoke about past regrets, specifically naming the loss of Joe Pavelski to the Dallas Stars and the team trading the eventual No. 3 overall pick (which became Tim Stutzle) to the Ottawa Senators as two of his biggest regrets in this recent era of Sharks hockey. Now led by 2024 No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini and a prospect pool ranked among the league’s best by public outlets, it appears Plattner’s optimism for the future is well-founded.
  • Although Colorado Avalanche netminder Mackenzie Blackwood practiced with the team today as he continues his push to return to full health, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told the media (including the Denver Gazette’s Evan Rawal) that Blackwood still isn’t quite fully ready and is questionable to travel with the team on its upcoming road trip. It does appear Blackwood isn’t too far off, though, and Bednar did reveal the team is considering potentially sending Blackwood out on a conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate as an option to help him get back up to full speed. Blackwood, once healthy, is expected to be the Avalanche’s undisputed No. 1 goalie. He posted a .913 save percentage in 37 games last season and is under contract at a $5.25MM AAV through the 2029-30 season.

Zach Benson Day-To-Day After Hospitalization

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Sabres winger Zach Benson was a late scratch from last night’s season-opening loss to the Rangers, with the team awarding him a day-to-day designation after he took a puck to the face in practice on Wednesday. Benson wasn’t initially expected to miss any time, but it turns out that what the club thought was just a superficial cut was more serious and required Benson to be admitted to the hospital, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters postgame (including Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News). He’s expected to be discharged today.

It’s a brutal start for Benson, who was expected to shoulder top-line duties for Buffalo out of the gate on the left wing with Joshua Norris and Tage Thompson. They’re now potentially down two of that trio after Norris left the game late in the third period after he fell awkwardly while taking a faceoff, with Ruff saying he was “disturbed” by the fact Norris wasn’t able to return following the play.

Benson, 20, is entering his third NHL season and is looking to convert some strong advanced numbers into more appearances on the scoresheet. The 2023 No. 13 overall pick hit the ground running with 11 goals, 19 assists, and 30 points in 71 games in his rookie season, but plateaued in his sophomore year with a 10-18–28 scoring line in 75 appearances. He’s averaged 14:40 per game for his career and finished at a 9.6% clip. While the point production hasn’t jumped off the page, he’s been one of the Sabres’ best at controlling possession, particularly last year. No one on the team had a higher Corsi share at even strength than Benson’s 55.6%, and his most frequent line combo with Thompson and Jiri Kulich controlled a strong 57.7% of expected goals, according to MoneyPuck.

The Sabres are hoping early October brings the worst of their injury luck as they aim to end a 14-year playoff drought. They were down the entirety of their projected second defense pairing last night as well, with both Michael Kesselring and Owen Power on the shelf. Kesselring remains week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, while Power was initially expected to be activated from injured reserve yesterday but was a late scratch due to illness.

Sabres Expected To Activate Owen Power From IR

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5:32 p.m.: While Power’s cleared to return from his injury, he’s now dealing with an illness that will keep him out of tonight’s opener, along with winger Zach Benson after he took a puck to the face in yesterday’s practice, the team announced. He’ll stay on IR for now as a result. Both are listed as day-to-day. Ryan Johnson and Tyson Kozak will enter the lineup in their place, according to Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.

10:21 a.m.: The Sabres are set to activate defenseman Owen Power from injured reserve before tonight’s home opener against the Rangers, head coach Lindy Ruff implied (via Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550). Buffalo opened a roster spot yesterday by reassigning goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to AHL Rochester after he cleared waivers, so no corresponding transaction will be required.

Despite being listed on IR for the Sabres’ opening roster submission, Power won’t miss any time. He’s been dealing with a minor strain since the tail end of training camp and was unavailable for Buffalo’s final two preseason games. The team first told reporters he was banged up on Sep. 30, presumably when they backdated his IR placement. As such, he’s already “missed” the seven days required for the designation.

Power, the first overall pick of the 2021 draft, is entering his fourth full NHL season. He saw more conservative deployment in 2024-25 than he’s gotten used to, averaging 21:19 per game after hovering around the 23-24 minute range for his first two years. Nonetheless, he managed career highs across the board offensively with seven goals, 33 assists, and 40 points in 79 contests. His defensive involvement was a different story. His -13 rating, 26 hits, 73 giveaways, 51.5 CF%, and 45.2 xGF% at even strength were all career worsts.

As such, he’ll be looking to get his all-around game back on track – a significant factor in Buffalo ending its 14-season playoff drought. While the club brought in righty Michael Kesselring from the Mammoth in the JJ Peterka deal this offseason with the primary objective of deploying him as Power’s partner, they won’t be able to do that tonight. Kesselring also landed on IR to open the year with an undisclosed injury and remains week-to-week. It’ll be Jacob Bryson, who would likely be scratched if everyone is healthy, opening the year with Power as a result, according to Buffalo’s practice line rushes earlier this week (via Heather Engel of NHL.com).

Power, still just 22 years old, is beginning the second year of the seven-year, $58.45MM extension he signed in October 2023. The 6’6″ lefty leads all 2021 draftees with 92 career assists, a touch ahead of forwards Matty Beniers, Wyatt Johnston, and Mason McTavish.

East Notes: Glendening, Senators, Sabres, George

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While Luke Glendening didn’t land on the season-opening roster for the Devils, that shouldn’t be interpreted as him not having made the team.  Per team reporter Amanda Stein (Twitter link), head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that the veteran is expected to sign with the team before they depart on their season-opening road trip which begins Thursday in Carolina.  New Jersey has set up their roster for an in-season LTIR placement which should come as soon as Tuesday, opening up the cap room at that time to sign Glendening.  The 36-year-old had just seven points in 77 games with Tampa Bay last season but won 57% of his draws, making him a serviceable specialist on the fourth line.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • While the Senators placed winger Drake Batherson and defenseman Tyler Kleven on injured reserve today, neither have been ruled out for Thursday’s season opener, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Their IR placements were back-dated to when they were injured in training camp, meaning they technically have already served the required seven days.  Both players skated for about 45 minutes today but haven’t been cleared to return just yet.
  • Sabres winger Zach Benson (undisclosed) and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (upper body) returned to practice today as they work their way back from their respective injuries. Neither has been ruled out of Thursday’s season opener.  Meanwhile, winger Jordan Greenway (mid-body) and defenseman Owen Power (strain) skated on their own today.  Unlike Benson and Samuelsson, they’re not on the active roster as they were among the long list of players that landed on injured reserve today.  At this point, their availabilities for Thursday appear to be in question.
  • Despite playing in 33 games with the Islanders last season, Isaiah George was sent to the minors today. Speaking with reporters (video link), GM Mathieu Darche indicated that the 21-year-old had a strong camp but the decision was made to prioritize playing time, something he’ll get a lot of with Bridgeport but wouldn’t have received in New York as the eighth defender on the depth chart.

Sabres Reassign Jiri Kulich, Activate Zach Benson

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The Sabres have assigned winger Jiri Kulich to AHL Rochester, per a team announcement. The move paves the way for Zach Benson to come off injured reserve before tonight’s game against the Senators, which head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters yesterday was an option. The team’s Heather Engel confirmed Benson was back on the active roster.

Kulich, 20, was the final of Buffalo’s three selections in the first round of the 2022 draft. The Czech forward immediately came over to North America, suiting up for Rochester in his post-draft year. He was one of the club’s best players over the previous two seasons, accumulating 51 goals and 91 points in 119 games and representing them at the 2024 AHL All-Star Game. He made his NHL debut last season during a brief call-up in November, registering a -1 rating and a shot on goal in a lone appearance.

As such, his stock was high heading into training camp. After an impressive preseason, Kulich found himself on the Sabres’ opening night roster for the first time, although he was a healthy scratch for their season opener against the Devils in his home country. He’s gotten extended looks in the lineup, including a four-game stretch without being scratched in late October, but hasn’t been able to make the offensive impact the team hoped. Through eight appearances, Kulich has one goal and no assists with three blocks and five hits. It’s not for a lack of ice time – Ruff has deployed him for an average of 14:36 per game. He’s done well to get pucks on net, totaling 17 shots on goal, but he’s finishing at just 5.9%. The Sabres are also controlling 48.8% of shot attempts with Kulich on the ice at even strength compared to 55.5% without him.

Thus, a little more seasoning in Rochester should be helpful for the cerebral 6’1″ forward. His underwhelming start, combined with the fact that he’s the only waiver-exempt skater on the active roster, made it clear he would be heading down when Benson was ready to return.

The 19-year-old Benson hasn’t gotten off to the smoothest start this season either. He sustained a lower-body injury in the season opener, causing him to miss the second of the two games in Europe against New Jersey. He tried playing through the injury upon returning to North America, but after being held scoreless through six games with a -4 rating, Benson was shut down in mid-October. After a five-game absence, he’ll be back in the lineup against Ottawa on the team’s second line with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.

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