Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato said that he expects winger Jack Quinn to be on the lineup for tonight's matchup against the Ottawa Senators, the Sabres announced on X.
Jack Quinn had been dealing with an ankle injury since Jan. 27, and he returned to practice with the Sabres on March 26. There were immediate concerns that Quinn's injury would be season-ending, but it is good news for the Sabres that Quinn is expected to be back in the lineup for tonight against the Senators.
This season, Quinn has played in just 17 games and put up five goals and seven assists for 12 points, according to NHL.com. He has played in 94 games in his career, with 20 goals and 31 assists for 51 points total. Regardless, Quinn is a boost to the Sabres' lineup.
Sabres' outlook on the rest of the season
The Sabres have slim playoff odds for the rest of the season, but Quinn's return to the lineup will help them try to make a miracle run down the stretch to sneak into a wild card spot. There are 10 games left in the season, and the Sabres likely need to win all of them to make it to the playoffs.
The Sabres currently have 73 points, and the Washington Capitals hold the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 81 points as things stand. The Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders are sandwiched between the Sabres and Capitals in the Eastern Conference standings. There is a very remote chance of the Sabres passing all of those teams by the end of the season.
Buffalo finishes the season with 10 games against the Senators, Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Red Wings, Dallas Stars, Capitals, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Four of those games are against teams that the Sabres will need to pass to get into a playoff spot.
In all likelihood, the season will end in disappointment for the Sabres. They came into the season as one of the young teams in the league that hoped to take the next step and make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For now, whether they get in or not, they will try to finish the season strong with Quinn back in the lineup.
For Quinn, he is trying to salvage a bit of a lost season. As noted above, he has played just 17 games. Quinn is a key part of the Sabres' future, and in a small sample, he has showed promise on a production basis this season.
Quinn is a young player at just 22 years old. There is still time for him to make an impact in Buffalo in his career. Quinn is an important player for the Sabres to take some momentum into the offseason.
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