While the beginning of the ’21-’22 season started with a win against Montreal 5-1 in Buffalo, the Sabres had heads held high and ready to begin the season looking toward the future. The city and fans got to enjoy one night of celebration before it all comes crumbling back to reality.
This morning head coach Don Granato announced Casey Mittelstadt (upper body) and Henri Jokiharju (lower body) are both out week to week and will not participate. With a roster already devoid of Jack Eichel, the Sabres certainly can’t afford to lose their replacement first-line center to injury so early in the season, likewise with the loss of top-pair defenseman Jokiharju. One thing is for certain, if the Sabres want to get a head start on the draft lottery, this certainly is a good start. Mittelstadt and Jokiharju combined for 30 points last season on a Buffalo team plagued for the bottom of the Atlantic division. Hopefully, the week-to-week term will be short enough for the couple to come back and make an impact on a porous Buffalo roster.
