Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner is week to week with an upper-body injury, the team announced Thursday.
The Sabres will be without their leading goal scorer when they host the Ottawa Senators tonight at KeyBank Center in the second game of a six-game homestand.
“Skinny is a big part of when we go – he’s usually going,” Granato said. “Yes, it’s a big loss. … Guys just have to elevate and pick up.”
Skinner missed Wednesday’s practice after skating 15:42 and recording one goal, one assist, and three shots against Seattle on Tuesday.
The forward currently leads all Sabres skaters with 17 goals in 2023-24 and ranks second on the team in points with 33, behind Casey Mittelstadt.
Granato said Skinner sustained the injury during Buffalo’s game versus Seattle and that the team will reevaluate his status after a week.
“In one week, we’ll kind of know how far this thing’s resolved,” he said. “You know, when you’re dealing with a broken bone – this is not a broken bone – you can put a timetable on it. This is, you know, a little different, softer tissue.”