The Buffalo Sabres announced yesterday that defenseman Brandon Montour will be out the remainder of the preseason with a hand injury. The 25-year-old didn’t play the final 10 minutes of the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday evening.
The Sabres have announced injury updates regarding Brandon Montour, Scott Wilson and Casey Fitzgerald. pic.twitter.com/RunZK4l0kq
— Sabres PR (@SabresPR) September 19, 2019
After practice today, head coach Ralph Krueger stated that Montour wouldn’t be ready for the start of the season, but he should be ready to return not too far after that. The glass half full approach, is that the Sabres do have some depth on the right side of the blue line. This is good news for Henri Jokiharju’s chances to make the roster and fill in while Montour is out. Also, the Sabres have Will Borgen and Casey Nelson that could fill in if needed.
It’s unfortunate that they’ll be without Montour to start the season. His mobility and transition skills were a welcomed addition during his 20 games with the Sabres last season. We’ll see how the blue line shakes out over the next few weeks with another blueliner on the shelf.