Sabres defenceman Rasmus Dahlin ruled out of game against Jets with back spasms

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff ruled out defenceman Rasmus Dahlin from playing against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night because of back spasms.

Ruff did not provide a timeline of how long Dahlin might be sidelined. He said he hopes it’s short-term “but you never know.”

Dahlin left early in the third period and did not return in a 5-4 loss to Colorado on Tuesday in which the Sabres squandered a 4-0 lead and allowed four goals in the third period.

The injury, Ruff said, is related to the one Dahlin sustained the first day of training camp and forced him to miss a majority of the pre-season. Dennis Gilbert is expected to be in the lineup in Dahlin’s place. The Sabres also recalled defenceman Ryan Johnson from AHL Rochester on Thursday.

The player selected first overall in the 2018 draft leads Buffalo defencemen and ranks third on the team with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists). On Wednesday, Dahlin was named on Sweden’s roster to represent the country in the NHL’s upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

Injured Sabres defenceman Mattias Samuelsson and forward Jordan Greenway rejoined the team for practice on Thursday. Samuelsson has been out of action since he sustained a lower-body injury on Nov. 11 against Montreal. Greenway has been out with a mid-body injury he sustained on Nov. 14 against St. Louis.

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