BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres will be without first-line center Tage Thompson for a month, if not longer, after he had a shot go off his left wrist.
Sabres coach Don Granato wasn't able to reveal the exact nature of the injury following Tuesday's game. Thompson was injured when he blocked Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy's shot midway through the second period of a 5-2 loss to the Bruins.
As the Sabres prepare for a Western Conference road trip, Granato spoke to the media following Wednesday's practice.
“It’s more week-to-week. I don’t have a targeted date for him yet, but I think I mentioned this morning we don’t expect it to be two months if that helps,” Granato said. “But I don’t think I have the specifics [from] the doctors and the exact recovery date on it, but it should be less than that.”
When Granato was asked what the team would miss in Thompson, who led the Sabres in goals and points last season, he emphasized that Thompson's skill won't be the only reason why the team will miss his presence in the lineup.
“Obviously, we will miss him because of not only the player but the person," Granato said. "He has a real good perspective on things. He’s an ultra-competitive guy that responds with competition and work ethic to any adversity."
“You cannot have enough of that at the professional level, at the NHL level. The more competitive you get, the better you feel about everything as a coach and players, and he has been a big, big part of that, a big driver in that area, so other guys will have to step up and I think they recognize that.”
Thompson entered the game tied for second on the team with both six goals and 12 points. He has topped 37 goals in each of the past two seasons, and he is coming off a year in which he posted career-best numbers with 47 goals and 94 points.
The Sabres (7-8-1) have lost two straight now and will open a three-game road trip at Winnipeg on Friday night.