Lindy Ruff Says Sabres Buffalo Lose Ostlund, Carrick for Round 2
sabres buffalo will be without Noah Ostlund and Sam Carrick for the entirety of its second-round series. Lindy Ruff said Sunday afternoon, "I don’t believe either will be available in this series yet," leaving Buffalo short two depth forwards as the Stanley Cup Playoffs move deeper into May.
Ostlund, Carrick Out for Series
Ostlund and Carrick are the only two players named in the update, and both were already working through injuries that kept them from being available for the next round. Buffalo announced the news on Sunday afternoon, before it learns which opponent it will face from the Montreal Canadiens-Tampa Bay Lightning Game 7.
Carrick has not appeared in a game since Mar. 31, when he suffered an upper-body injury in a fight against New York Islanders captain Anders Lee. He arrived at Buffalo in a trade-deadline deal with the New York Rangers and scored 5 goals in 13 games with the Sabres after scoring 4 goals in 60 games with the Rangers.
Noah Ostlund’s Playoff Run
Ostlund’s absence cuts into a lineup spot he earned with a steady regular season and a productive first-round start. Buffalo’s first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft at No. 16 overall, he made his NHL debut last season and stayed in a full-time role this season, finishing with 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 60 games.
He also contributed in the playoffs before getting hurt. Ostlund had 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points in his first three postseason games, then sustained a lower-body injury in Game 5.
Buffalo’s Second-Round Setup
The Sabres got here by eliminating the Boston Bruins in six games, and they did it with a 3-0 road record in the series. That run has Buffalo in the second round with home-ice advantage as the top seed out of the Atlantic, a position that now carries extra weight with two forwards unavailable.
Buffalo will learn its opponent on Sunday after Game 7 between Montreal and Tampa Bay. For a team already carrying a shortened depth chart into the next series, the matchup will tell Ruff how much more of the roster he needs to ask for right away.
