New details emerge after young Sabres forward suffers serious medical emergency
Jiri Kulich gave Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff a massive off-season lift when he confirmed he'll be able to play again.
That news hit harder because Kulich's season didn't just end quietly.
It stopped after a medical issue that put hockey on hold and left his future in real doubt.
The young Buffalo forward said he underwent a procedure in Minnesota to remove a blood clot.
He has already started skating again as he works his way back.
That changes the tone around Kulich heading into next season. A lost year is one thing.
A health scare tied to his career is something else entirely.
Buffalo didn't get a depth update here.
The Sabres got a clean sign that one of their young forwards still has a path back into the lineup.
Kulich also made it clear that he feels good now.
He's been skating, shooting, and building himself back up after months away from game action.
Buffalo gets a real prospect boost with Kulich returning soon
This matters because Kulich had not played since November.
For a player still trying to lock down his NHL place, that kind of gap can stall everything.
Instead, the story now shifts from fear to timing.
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The focus is no longer whether he can return, but how quickly he can get his game pace back.
He also thanked his teammates and the organization, which says plenty about how much support surrounded him during this stretch.
Those details matter in a locker room.
For Buffalo, this is bigger than a feel-good update.
Kulich has been viewed as one of the organization's top young forwards since the Sabres took him in the first round in 2022.
That's why this development lands as more than personal relief.
It puts a legitimate prospect back on the board for a team still trying to build more speed and finish up front.
Kulich's season was wiped out.
His progress was paused. But the main story now is simple: he's coming back, and Buffalo can start planning with him again.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 18, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Zachary Bolduc | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Rasmus Dahlin | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Phillip Danault | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jordan Greenway | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alex Newhook | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Kaiden Guhle | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Beck Malenstyn | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ryan McLeod | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Owen Power | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mattias Samuelsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nick Suzuki | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Alexandre Texier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zach Benson | - | - | - | |
| Bowen Byram | - | - | - | |
| Cole Caufield | - | - | - | |
| Kirby Dach | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Demidov | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||