When the Buffalo Sabres traded for Josh Norris at the deadline, he seemed like a good fit. Dylan Cozens, whom the Sabres traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Norris, had struggled for a season and a half before the Sabres moved him. Norris, on the other hand, has dealt with injury issues throughout his NHL career – he only has one season of more than 60 games played, which was in 2021-22, and only three seasons with more than 50 games played.
Norris has missed the last seven games due to injury, including a 5-3 win vs. the Winnipeg Jets, a 3-2 win vs. the Ottawa Senators and Thursday night’s 7-3 win vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. As of now, team doctors have only mentioned it’s an undisclosed injury that he’s dealing with. He has only played three games for the Sabres since he joined the team, with two points (one goal and one assist). As of Friday (March 28), there is no timetable for his return.
Too Early to Be Concerned About Norris?
Even though Norris is dealing with some sort of injury, it’s too soon to hit the panic button. He is a good player when he’s on the ice, and acquiring him was a risk the Sabres needed to take. Do I like what they gave up to get him? No. But sometimes, a shakeup is necessary, and it seemed inevitable that Cozens would be moved if a trade were in the works.
We should start to worry if he’s still dealing with the same injury or a new one heading into training camp in the fall. The Sabres need players who can stay healthy and be on the ice. Norris is a phenomenal power-play threat and could be a legitimate weapon for a unit that has struggled most of the season, but he’s not a threat if he’s not playing.
Norris is a good player, and if he could stay on the ice, he could give the Sabres a 30-goal season. But with already three shoulder injuries that he suffered in 2022, 2023 and 2024, the Sabres are walking a fine line. A part of me wonders if his injuries continue, if they just trade him over the summer, but then again, that is not the logical move. That would be reactionary to this injury he’s currently dealing with, which is the last thing the Sabres should do.
That said, the Sabres are not making the playoffs. With a 30-35-6 record and 66 points, they rank last in the Eastern Conference and 29th in the overall league standings. Even if Norris is dealing with a minor injury, he should sit out the rest of the season and use the offseason to get back to 100%. He needs to get better conditioned, stronger and faster, and, most importantly, healthy heading into next season.
The Sabres have listed the injury as “undisclosed,” which makes me wonder how many possibilities there are—what type of injury it is, the severity, and the timeline for his return. That’s the main concern here.
Of course, given Norris’ injury history, it’s hard to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s already undergone three shoulder procedures and dealt with other injuries, so most people are likely to assume he’ll be out for the remainder of the season. I don’t think the Sabres should be too concerned with this injury or his injury history overall, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
What do you think? Should the Sabres be concerned about Norris’ injury history?
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