Horrible injury update for two Sabres players confirmed by Lindy Ruff

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Vincent Carbonneau
May 3, 2026  (1:50 PM)

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Photo credit: Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Noah Ostlund and Lindy Ruff just got hit with a tougher Round 2 path, and Sam Carrick is out right beside him.

Buffalo confirmed Sunday that Ostlund and Carrick are both expected to miss Round 2 because of injury. For a team coming off its first playoff series win since 2007, that is a real jolt before the next puck drop.

Ostlund is the one that changes the feel of the lineup most. The rookie got hurt in the first period of Game 5 against Boston when Casey Mittelstadt fell awkwardly on his left leg, and Lindy Ruff already said the news was not good.

That stings because Ostlund had started to give Buffalo something useful in this run. He put up 1 goal and 1 assist in 3 playoff games, and the Sabres were getting real pace from him lower in the lineup.

Carrick’s absence matters in a different way. He has been out since March 31 with an upper-body injury suffered in a fight with Anders Lee, and Buffalo still does not expect him back in this series.

He is not a flashy loss, but he gives you center depth, edge, and a veteran layer on the bench. Over 73 games this season, Carrick posted 9 goals and 16 points.

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This is where Ruff’s group gets tested. The Sabres just knocked out Boston in 6 games, but moving deeper into the bracket with 2 forwards missing puts more stress on the bottom six.

Ostlund’s absence is especially rough because he had already shown he could help at both ends. In the regular season, he scored 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games with a +11 rating.

Buffalo still has enough push up front to survive this if its main drivers keep rolling. Alex Tuch has 7 points in 6 playoff games, while Tage Thompson also sits at 7 points.

The blue line gives them a cushion too. Bowen Byram has 5 points in the playoffs, and Rasmus Dahlin is still carrying top-pair minutes into the next round.

Still, this is not nothing. Carrick’s injury takes away an experienced support piece, and Ostlund’s injury removes a young forward who was starting to look comfortable in the moment.

Buffalo can still push through this. But Round 2 just got tighter, and the Sabres now need their depth lines to give them something without 2 forwards Lindy Ruff expected to have available.

Previously

Leon Draisaitl’s future in doubt as Pierre LeBrun finally speaks out

Major lineup shakeup coming for Martin St-Louis as sources say young player will be removed

Edmonton on edge as Mats Sundin connection fuels Connor McDavid to Leafs speculation

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2 HOURS AGO   |   107 ANSWERS Horrible injury update for two Sabres players confirmed by Lindy Ruff Will the Buffalo Sabres get through Round 2 without Noah Ostlund and Sam Carrick ?

▢    Yes

▢    No

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