Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Ristolainen will return to the Buffalo Sabres lineup against the Philadelphia Flyers, head coach Ralph Krueger confirmed.
Captain Jack Eichel will not suit up against the Flyers due to a lower-body injury which the forward has been dealing with since training camp.
Goaltender Linus Ullmark is expected to miss a month after suffering an injury against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
Skinner — who's in Year 2 of a deal that pays him $9 million per season, making him the team's second-highest-paid player — has not played a game since Feb. 20, missing the last three games as a healthy scratch. The 28-year-old forward has recorded just one assist in 14 games for the Sabres this season.
Ristolainen returns to the lineup after recovering from COVID-19. The 26-year-old defender spoke recently about his battle with the virus, telling Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat that he dealt with symptoms including severe chest pains and significant drops in oxygen levels.
