The Buffalo Sabres' defense moved closer to full strength Friday with Robert Hagg and Jacob Bryson returning to practice in KeyBank Center.
Hagg has not played since Dec. 14 against Winnipeg because of a lingering lower-body injury that required time to heal, and Bryson was placed in the NHL's Covid-19 protocol Dec. 29.
Sabres coach Don Granato told reporters after practice that Hagg will need additional practice time before a decision is made about his availability Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bryson, 24, also will gauge his readiness at practice Sunday and Monday, but he expects to be ready to return to the lineup.
"It's been an ongoing thing through the season," Hagg explained after practice Friday. "I tried to deal with it, but at one point, I didn't feel it was fair to me or the team to keep pushing it or keep trying. I've been rehabbing for close to three weeks and the way I feel out there right now, I haven't felt that way during the whole season, so that's a good thing."
Hagg, 26, ranks second on the Sabres in hits (49) and first in blocked shots (56). He has averaged 17:50 of ice time in 25 games and is a key cog on the penalty kill. Bryson has been a consistent presence on the blue line in his second NHL season, averaging 19:47 of ice time in 29 games and contributing on the power play. A fourth-round draft choice in 2017, Bryson has seven assists and 33 blocked shots.
Bryson had symptoms during his absence and continued to produce positive tests. He quarantined alongside his roommate, Casey Mittelstadt, who also tested positive while recovering from surgery.
In their absence, the Sabres were forced to piece together defense pairs in recent weeks, causing the club to recall Casey Fitzgerald and Ethan Prow from Rochester. Both had some encouraging moments when playing their strong side, but struggled when asked to shift to the opposite side out of team need.
The Sabres still have five players absent because of Covid-19 protocol: Alex Tuch, Kyle Okposo, Peyton Krebs, Anders Bjork and Casey Fitzgerald.
More updates
Goalie Dustin Tokarski, who hasn't played since Nov. 29 because of a bout with Covid-19, returned to a full participant in practice Friday and will have his workload gradually increase before a decision is made on when he can play in a game.
Casey Mittelstadt watched practice from the bench again Friday and while he continues to rehabilitate the undisclosed injury that led to surgery, he's trending toward returning sooner than the initial timeline set by team doctors. Granato said Mittelstadt is still "weeks away."
On the road
With no Sabres game until Tuesday, the club assigned forwards Brett Murray and Ryan MacInnis and defenseman Ethan Prow to Rochester.
MacInnis made his Sabres debut Thursday night, and Prow was no longer needed with Bryson and Hagg back at practice. Murray performed well in three games last week, but he had zero shots on goal in 13:39 of ice time against San Jose.
Rochester coach Seth Appert said Murray will benefit from playing a pair of weekend games for the Amerks.
"With Brett, there's been a little bit of up and down early, and then he got to stay for a long time," Appert said. "I think he's on the cusp of becoming a full-time NHL player. They haven't played a lot in Buffalo lately. They had a Covid pause, they had Christmas break. Sometimes the bigger guys, especially, need more games to get their pace back."
Additionally, Appert announced Friday that forwards Brandon Biro and Ara Nazarian and defenseman Peter Tischke entered Covid-19 protocol.
Heritage Classic
The NHL unveiled a logo Friday for the Heritage Classic outdoor game between the Sabres and Leafs, which is scheduled for March 13 in Hamilton, Ont. The question is whether the game will be played in 2022.
TSN's Chris Johnston reported Thursday that the game is in "limbo" because of Ontario's Covid-19 restrictions and it will likely be moved to 2023 if Tim Hortons Field cannot be at full capacity. The game is already sold out.
