BUFFALO -- Tage Thompson is out week to week for the Buffalo Sabres after he sustained an upper-body injury during a 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.
Thompson, a center, blocked a shot from Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the second period while the Sabres were on the penalty kill. He remained hunched over in the defensive zone but tried to play through it before leaving the game at 11:05 once the puck cleared the zone.
He also missed the final 15 minutes of the first period with a lower-body injury after he was cut by McAvoy's skate, but he returned early in the second.
"It's more week to week," Sabres coach Don Granato said Wednesday. "I don't have the target date for him yet, but I think I mentioned this morning we don't expect it to be two months. ... It should be less than that."
Thompson has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 16 games. Last season, he led the Sabres with an NHL career-high 47 goals and 94 points.
"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 compete and work ethic to any adversity. … Other guys will have to step up and I think they recognize that."
Without their top center, the Sabres (7-8-1) will be counting on Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt to help fill the void.
Cozens has eight points (three goals, five assists) in 15:49 of ice time in 14 games this season including two assists on the power play.
"Obviously, that's not the way I want to get more ice time by someone going down, but as a centerman, I know I'm going to have to step up here," Cozens said. "I know I haven't been playing as best as I can to start this year, but I think it's an opportunity for me to find my game and get going here and do my best to help the team.
"We're going to need some guys to step up and he's a hole you can't really fill. He's such a great player and he plays both sides of the ice. He's been great on the penalty kill, so we know guys are going to have to step up and try to fill that hole as best as we can."
Mittelstadt has 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 17:22 of ice time in 16 games including one power-play assist.
"I'm going to prepare to try to play my best," he said. "I have confidence out there and I think I can take on a challenge, for sure. So, for me, I don't think much changes, obviously. We're going to miss the [heck] out of 'Tommer' and what he brings to this team and what he brings to the locker room as well. He's such a good player. … It's definitely a big loss, but it's an opportunity for other guys to step up at the same time."
Forwards Alex Tuch and Zach Benson are expected to return when the Sabres visit the Winnipeg Jets on Friday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, MSG-B, NHLN). Tuch has missed the past three games with an upper-body injury, and Benson has missed the past six games with a lower-body injury. Forward Jack Quinn is still recovering from an Achilles injury sustained during the offseason.
"We want to get going, we want to get wins," Mittelstadt said. "Maybe a little bit of makes you grip the stick. I think there's definitely moments we can play faster and find our game. We have so much skill in this room and so much talent I think we’re definitely on our way and it should be coming soon."
