Buffalo Sabres forward Kyle Okposo out week-to-week with lower-body injury

The Buffalo Sabres’ captain will be missing a few games.

On Tuesday, the team announced forward Kyle Okposo is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

The Sabres did not reveal when and where the 35-year-old was injured, but it will leave a notable gap in the lineup with one of the team’s veterans gone. There is no immediate timetable for his return.

Prior to the injury, Okposo had scored eight goals and six assists, having played in every single game this season. He has not registered a point since his two-goal performance in the Sabres’ 9-3 drubbing of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 21.

Okposo was out of the lineup for over two weeks in November of the 2021-22 season with a lower-body injury. He was also on the shelf for a few games in January 2021 with an upper-body injury.

Injuries have followed Okposo around over his time in Buffalo, most notably his concussion problems near the end of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. The former New York Islander was an important acquisition for the Sabres after a 64-point 2015-16 season on Long Island, but he has not been able to help turn the struggling franchise around.

After ending 2023 with losses in three of their last four games, Buffalo (15-19-4) begins the New Year with a matchup against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. The Sabres are currently seventh in the Atlantic Division, right behind the Habs, and are seven points out of a Wild Card spot.

In 1,022 games, Okposo has amassed 238 goals and 606 assists. He has also scored 15 points in 24 playoff games, all coming with the Islanders. The former Des Moines Buccaneer was a big part of helping end the Isles’ 23-year playoff series drought, as New York made it to the second round in 2016.