Sabres F Jiri Kulich week to week with lower-body injury

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Sabres rookie forward Jiri Kulich will be out for at least a week with a lower-body injury sustained in Monday's shootout victory against the Capitals, coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday.

The 20-year-old Kulich, a first-round pick in 2022 who has been the Rochester Americans leading scorer the past two seasons, was centering Buffalo's third line of late. He has seven goals and nine points in 31 games, with five of his goals coming in the past 14 games.

“It’s a loss for us because of how well he had played in the middle and the speed he was generating,” Ruff said. “He was getting a lot of confidence with the puck and making more plays, finishing some really good opportunities."

The Sabres called up Tyson Kozak from Rochester to replace Kulich. The seventh-round pick from 2021 had one goal in three games with the Sabres earlier this season. Kozak centered Buffalo's fourth line in practice Wednesday, with Peyton Krebs moving up to the middle of the line between wingers Zach Benson and Jack Quinn.

Fourth-line forward Beck Malenstyn was absent from practice with an illness that kept him out of Monday night's game.

The Sabres visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night before returning home to host the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.