These are good times for the Buffalo Sabres.
Riding a three-game winning streak and back at .500 on the year with an 8-8-0 record, the club got more good news on Friday as defenseman Zach Bogosian -- who’s been sidelined all year with a lower-body injury -- took part in his first full-contact practice with teammates.
Bogosian: Obviously first practice back with the team today, but feel good. Hopefully I'll be back in there soon.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) November 13, 2015
Bogosian, one of the key pieces acquired in last year’s blockbuster with Winnipeg, is a crucial component to the Buffalo blueline. He averaged nearly 27 minutes per night after coming over from the Jets and, without him, stopgap replacement Carlo Colaiacovo has been forced into eight games this season (Colaiacovo’s presence is also partly due to the lower-body injury to Mike Weber.)
Update: Per Bylsma, Weber is week-to-week after undergoing surgery.
While it remains to be seen when Bogosian will draw back into the lineup, there are some opportunities on the horizon.
Buffalo plays at home against San Jose on Saturday, at home against the Stars on Tuesday, then heads out for a mini two-game road swing in St. Louis and Dallas.