Oft-injured center Josh Norris is back in the Buffalo Sabres’ lineup after recovering from an upper-body issue he sustained in the season opener.
Wingers Zach Benson and Tage Thompson flanked Norris on the top line at morning skate as the Sabres prepared to host the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night.
“I was a little anxious. Woke up a little early this morning. Couldn’t really sleep,” Norris said Monday, per The Athletic. “Just excited to get back in the lineup. I really just made sure I was good before I made the decision to come back.”
Norris exited Buffalo’s 4-0 home loss to the New York Rangers on Oct. 9 after being hurt on a faceoff in neutral ice. He played 18:51 and put four shots on net prior to departing.
The 26-year-old Michigan product missed 24 games, the latest in a litany of long absences that have derailed stretches of his career.
An oblique injury limited Norris to 56 games last season, including three with the Sabres, who acquired him at the trade deadline in a swap that sent Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators.
Norris played just 50 games in 2023-24 and eight games in 2022-23 because of injuries to his left shoulder that required surgery.
Surgery on the same shoulder in 2019 curtailed his second and final season at the University of Michigan.
Norris has totaled 91 goals and 158 points in 240 career NHL games.
The Sabres, who entered Monday with the worst record (10-11-4, 24 points) in the Eastern Conference, will embark on a six-game road trip after hosting Winnipeg.
