Video: PREGAME: Butcher
Colin Miller is also expected to be in the lineup, Sabres coach Don Granato said. Miller, who had surgery to repair an upper-body injury in January, returned from a two-month absence in Edmonton on Thursday. He was given the day off in Calgary on Friday.
Miller skated on a defense pair with Butcher during the morning skate. Mark Pysyk skated on an extra defense pair alongside forward Anders Bjork.
Granato did not confirm a starting goaltender.
Below is how the group lined up during the morning skate:
| March 20 at Vancouver |
| --- |
| | C | RW |
| 53 Jeff Skinner | 72 Tage Thompson | 89 Alex Tuch |
| 74 Rasmus Asplund | 37 Casey Mittelstadt | 71 Victor Olofsson |
| 19 Peyton Krebs | 24 Dylan Cozens | 29 Vinnie Hinostroza |
| 28 Zemgus Girgensons | 20 Cody Eakin | 21 Kyle Okposo |
| LD | RD | G |
| 26 Rasmus Dahlin | 10 Henri Jokiharju | 41 Craig Anderson |
| 23 Mattias Samuelsson | 78 Jacob Bryson | 31 Dustin Tokarski |
| 4 Will Butcher | 33 Colin Miller | |
John Hayden did not participate in the morning skate after testing positive for COVID-19. The Sabres were awaiting the results of a retest when Granato spoke to the media.
Hayden has been a healthy scratch on the road trip following the return of fellow winger Zemgus Girgensons, who had been out since January with an injury.
The Sabres made their first pre-deadline trade on Sunday morning, acquiring a sixth-round pick from the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Robert Hagg.
Hagg, 27, is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. He joined the Sabres along with a pair of draft picks in the trade that sent Rasmus Ristolainen to Philadelphia last July.
"Robert was really good," Granato said. "He was a guy that was very committed, as I've said. He came into Buffalo a month and a half early and was excited. … He blocked shots and he was ready for practice every day, added some life and energy from the compete side. He's a competitive guy.
"We certainly wish him well and we certainly appreciate the commitment he had when he put that jersey over his head. He was as committed as anybody."
The list of Sabres who are on expiring contracts includes Butcher, Pysyk, and Miller on defense; Hayden, Cody Eakin, and Vinnie Hinostroza at forward; and goaltenders Craig Anderson and Dustin Tokarski.
"Guys that going into [unrestricted free agency] throughout the league on teams that aren't looking into the playoffs this year, I'm sure all of those guys … it's somewhere in their mind on a day like today and tomorrow," Granato said.
Hagg's departure comes as another physical, left-shot defenseman continues to grow in his role. Mattias Samuelsson has exceeded 20 minutes of ice time in each of the last four games.
He held his own against arguably the top line in hockey in Calgary, where his most frequent matchup was against the trio of Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm, and Matthew Tkachuk.
"He is a very, very important part of success," Granato said. "I mean, when he's in the lineup for us, we are a much more successful team in areas of defensive responsibility. He's an incredible athlete. His size and strength and reach exceeded the average in the NHL from day one.
"Upon entry to the NHL, he was already stronger than the average NHL player and you could see it. So, physically he gets on a guy and can disrupt them, take a puck away and transition well. He is very, very impactful helping us win games from day one."
The Flames also departed for Vancouver after their loss to the Sabres. They handed the Canucks a 5-2 loss on Saturday, the second straight defeat for a Canucks team trying to stay in the playoff race. They sit five points behind Vegas for the final wild card berth in the Western Conference.
J.T. Miller leads the Canucks in goals (24), assists (49), and points (73).
Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau did not name a starting goaltender. Thatcher Demko allowed four goals on 29 shots on Saturday before being pulled for Jaroslav Halak, who stopped 14 of 15 shots.
