BUFFALO, N.Y. — A red flag went up when Jack Eichel didn't skate Thursday morning. Sabres coach Ralph Krueger called it a "maintenance" situation and not to make too much of it.
Things went to a whole new level when Eichel was declared a late scratch after pregame warm-ups Thursday night against the Devils after suffering a lower body injury that Krueger said was entirely new and had nothing to do with the reason he didn't skate in the morning.
"Jack's lower body complication showed up in the warm-up actually. It was not related to him not skating this morning, so it definitely caught us all by surprise. The first diagnosis on it is day to day and the feeling that he had that there was a risk of putting him into the game situation," Krueger said.
Goaltender Linus Ullmark also suffered a lower body injury after making a sprawling glove save during the first period of Thursday night's 4-3 overtime loss to New Jersey. Ullmark finished the period before he was relieved by Carter Hutton in the second and third periods.
Krueger says Ullmark's injury will be further evaluated Friday morning.