BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Back from a sweeping road trip out West, the Sabres are getting their top center back in the lineup for a holiday home stop.
Tage Thompson says he’s ready to play Wednesday night against the Minnesota Wild after missing four games with a lower-body injury. “I feel good,” Thompson said following Tuesday’s practice at KeyBank Center. “I had a good day today and I’m ready to go for tomorrow.”
Buffalo opened a roster spot for Thompson’s return from injured reserve Tuesday by sending forward Isak Rosen back to Rochester.
Thompson, who leads Buffalo with 11 goals in 16 games, resumed skating with the Sabres on the three-game road trip and felt well enough to play sooner. But Thompson understood the decision to hold him out for further recovery time while the team was rolling on the road.
“It’s smart for sure to take an extra few days, especially where our team was at, hot on the road and feeling good about the game,” Thompson said. “It was more of a precautionary thing, making sure I was 100%, ready to go, and not stepping in too early, re-aggravating it.”
Third-line winger Jordan Greenway did not practice Tuesday and remains out indefinitely. Greenway had a non-surgical procedure on his mid-body injury that could hasten his recover, coach Lindy Ruff said.
Currently in playoff position, the Sabres (11-9-1) are trying to win four games in a row for the first time in two seasons against the Wild (13-4-4), who are second in the West. The Canucks (10-6-3) visit Buffalo on Friday.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.