BUFFALO — When the Sabres announced Friday they had signed veteran Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year, $850,000 contract, it felt like they might also reveal they expected at least one of their two injured defensemen, Mattias Samuelsson and Olen Zellweger, to be sidelined longer than they expected.
But Samuelsson and Zellweger, both of whom went down in Tuesday’s 5-1 preseason win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, are doing well.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Samuelsson, who’s week to week with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot, will be out “on the shorter side.” Meanwhile, Ruff said Zellweger, who suffered a concussion, has started skating again. He anticipates the newcomer will be ready for Thursday’s season opener in Columbus.
The Sabres, who are gunning to win the Stanley Cup, signed Grzelcyk, 32, at the end of training camp because they believe he makes them better. Instead of relying on someone in the organization – a youngster or journeyman – to fill minutes and provide depth, they added an experienced asset to boost their blue line.
“We’ve talked about the standard we’re at and the expectations, and bringing in a veteran player that has a lot of experience in every situation, the message is that we’re going to give ourselves the best possible chance to win hockey games,” Ruff said Friday in KeyBank Center.
In the left-shot Grzelcyk, a puck-moving defender, Ruff said the Sabres possess “a real good competitor.”
“A guy that’s got a lot of NHL games, knows how to play the game,” said Ruff, whose Sabres close the preseason at home this afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins. “He’s a good pro, and I think we got some question marks with a couple of our players. It just gives us some veteran depth that right now we need.”
The Sabres on Friday placed some defense depth on waivers. Before Grzelcyk inked his one-way deal, with Samuelsson and Zellweger injured, Dennis Gilbert and Ryan Johnson probably ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, on the depth chart.
Now, Gilbert and Johnson, the 31st overall pick in 2019, are both gone. If they clear waivers, they will be assigned to the Rochester Americans.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Grzelcyk spent last season with the Chicago Blackhawks, compiling zero goals, 12 assists and 32 penalty minutes in 69 games. He joined Chicago on a professional tryout last year before signing a one-year contract.
“He’s a really steady defenseman,” said Sabres defenseman Louis Crevier, who played with Grzelcyk in Chicago last season.
Grzelcyk set career highs with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2024-25, registering 39 assists and 40 points in 82 contests.
The Boston native spent parts of eight seasons with the Bruins after they drafted him in the third round in 2012, 85th overall.
He has compiled 26 goals, 187 points and 285 penalty minutes in 596 career NHL games.
When Samuelsson and Zellweger, both of whom are left-handed shots, are healthy, Grzelcyk and Zach Metsa could be pushed out of the lineup.
Doing an impression of Samuelsson, Ruff said the defenseman looks at him and says, “This isn’t going to be that long.”
Ruff said Zellweger is still in concussion protocol and will skate again today following “a great skate” Friday.
“He’s feeling real good,” Ruff said.
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Ruff said Sabres goalie Alex Lyon, who left Thursday’s game in Detroit after appearing to injure his left shoulder as he lunged to freeze the puck, was being evaluated Friday.
He said the team will have more information today on Lyon, who has an upper-body injury.
Meanwhile, Ruff said center Jiri Kulich, who scored 33 seconds into the second period Thursday before leaving the 3-2 overtime loss to the Red Wings as a precaution, stayed off the ice Friday for maintenance.
Ruff said the Czech will likely skate today.
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Following today’s game, Ruff said the Sabres will leave for a team retreat at an undisclosed location.
“Just sort of a culture building,” he said.
Ruff started the retreats when he coached New Jersey Devils and took the Sabres on one last season, his first back in Buffalo.
Notes: Ruff said he will essentially dress his regular-season lineup against the Penguins. … Ruff said every returning member of the team who wore a letter last year will have one again this season. The Sabres dealt winger Alex Tuch, who served as alternate captain, to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade deal before free agency. … Sabres center Noah Ostlund had a maintenance day Friday after skating 23 minutes, 56 seconds in Thursday’s game.