Rasmus Ristolainen was playing some of the best hockey of his career before a serious bout with COVID-19 brought his season to an unexpected pause.
The defenseman had paired with Jake McCabe to form one of the NHL's top statistical pairs despite seeing nightly doses of opponents' top lines. His presence at the net-front had helped jolt the Sabres power play and his conditioning was at its usual top form, having exceeded 26 minutes on back-to-back days against the Devils before coming down with the virus.
"The time that it came was probably the worst time ever," Ristolainen said Thursday. "I was feeling pretty good, probably playing [some] of the better hockey I've played here since coming to Buffalo.
"So, it's even more tough. But all of those things, the way I think about it, it's just a bump in the road and it's gonna make me tougher and better."
Ristolainen on COVID battle: 'It's going to make me tougher'
The defenseman felt good after skating with teammates Thursday