VANCOUVER -- The Sabres landed in town early this morning, and as the bus started rolling Christian Ehrhoff saw a lot of familiar sights. The Buffalo defenseman spent the previous two seasons in Vancouver, and he's ready to face his old team Saturday night.
"I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun," Ehrhoff said today at the team hotel. "I think I might get booed. We’ll see."
The Canucks elected not to re-sign the defenseman as free agency approached last summer. They dealt his rights to the Islanders, who couldn't sign him and in turn traded him to Buffalo for the same draft pick (a fourth-rounder) they gave up. He signed a 10-year, $40 million deal with the Sabres.
"It was a business decision by [Canucks General Manager] Mike Gillis, and I moved on," Ehrhoff said. "I’m happy where I’m at right now. We’ll see how the fans saw that transaction. That’s going to determine if they boo me or cheer."
Ehrhoff and the Sabres stayed off the ice to rest following back-to-back games in Anaheim and San Jose.
"With two late nights in a row and back-to-back games, the best thing we can do is just rest," coach Lindy Ruff said.
The coach had no further update on defenseman Robyn Regehr, who was set to be evaluated after suffering a lower-body injury Thursday night. If Regehr is ruled out, the Sabres could recall a defenseman or use Alexander Sulzer. He is also making a return to Vancouver after being dealt to Buffalo on Monday as part of the Cody Hodgson-Zack Kassian transaction.
It would be the first appearance for Sulzer, who was scratched in his first two games with the Sabres.
"I don’t know a lot about him," Ruff said. "I’m not going to sit here and tell you a lot of great things or bad things. I don’t know a lot. The proof will be in the pudding if we play him."
---John Vogl
Lindy Ruff
Christian Ehrhoff
