The oft-injured center has 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in 19 games.
The Buffalo Sabres have struggled with injuries, as many NHL clubs have with the compacted schedule because of the upcoming Olympic Games. Their recent 15-2-1 surge into the Eastern Conference playoff race coincided with the return of center Josh Norris to the lineup, but after indicating that the rib injury suffered in the win over Philadelphia last Wednesday was a day-to-day issue, head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that the center is considered week-to-week.
The Sabres have gone 13-6 with Norris in the lineup, utilizing him and Tage Thompson on separate lines to give Buffalo a more threatening offensive attack. Without him, the club has gone 13-11-5, which included a stretch of eight losses in nine games in late October/early November.
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The 26-year-old center has been oft-injured throughout most of his NHL career after being a big part of the Erik Karlsson deal between San Jose and Ottawa in 2018. Norris missed 16 games in 2022-23 with the Sens in a year when he scored a career-high 35 goals, missed all eight games in 2022-23 with a shoulder injury, and was limited to 50 games in 2023-24 because of another shoulder injury. Last season, after being acquired from Ottawa for Dylan Cozens, he played three games before being shut down for the season.
This season, Norris was injured in the season opener against the NY Rangers and missed seven weeks with an oblique injury. With the Sabres' 2-1 loss to Carolina on Monday, the club has lost two of its three games, and in a tight race for an Eastern Conference playoff spot, its chances may rest on when he will return.
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