Suddenly, there's not the logjam you might have thought on defense for the Sabres.
Coach Lindy Ruff just announced that Marc-Andre Gragnani has a grade 2 knee sprain suffered in the rookie scrimmage Friday and is likely going to be out the next 4-6 weeks. Gragnani was going to get a look in exhibition games and had a chance to help the team on the power play with a good camp. He had 12 goals and 31 assists last year in 66 games at Portland.
"He came into camp in real good shape and he's pretty disappointed," Ruff said. "He realizes it's a missed opportunity to play some games and show skills. We're disappointed but obviously there will be another chance for him."
That leaves eight contenders for the big club, with seven likely to stick. Memo to Chris Butler and Andrej Sekera: Have a good camp, especially with Mike Weber here. None of those three can go to Portland without clearing waivers first either, so the Sabres will have to make some sort of deal or risk losing a young defenseman on waivers.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
