The Buffalo Sabres made some roster moves Friday evening, placing forward Zach Benson on injured reserve and recalling winger Isak Rosen from the team’s affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), the Rochester Americans. Benson, who has impressed early in the season with his playmaking and energy, will be sidelined for at least a week. Rosen, meanwhile, gets another shot at NHL action after a scorching start in the minors, where he’s been one of Rochester’s top offensive producers as he has recorded 12 points in his first eight games.
Zach Benson Placed on Injured Reserve
The Sabres placed Benson on IR on Friday evening with an undisclosed injury that he suffered in the team’s 4-3 overtime loss against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. Benson skated 16:18 during the game; however, he unfortunately left with 4:02 remaining in the third period.
Benson missed the team’s first three games due to taking a puck to the face during a practice leading up to the team’s season opener against the New York Rangers. He then returned in the team’s 8-4 win against the Ottawa Senators, and has been a massive part of the team’s success since starting the season 0-3-0. He’s recorded eight assists in eight games played, including four assists in the game against the Senators.
The Sabres are 4-1-3 in games Benson plays, so not having him in the lineup, even if it’s for just one week, is a massive loss for the team. Not only has he produced offensively, but defensively, he has been even better. According to Evolving Hockey, he ranks in the 92nd percentile, including an expected goals above replacement of just over nine.
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The Sabres have also shown a new energy and have been working much harder for a full 60-plus minutes in every game with Benson in the lineup. He is one of the few sparkplugs the team has, and when the team needs a jolt of energy, he goes out on the ice and shows the leadership he can bring night in and night out.
We’ll see if the Sabres can stay afloat with him out of the lineup as the Sabres’ next five games are vs Washington Capitals (Tonight, Nov. 1), vs Utah Mammoth (Tuesday, Nov. 4), vs St. Louis Blues (Thursday, Nov. 6), at Carolina Hurricanes (Saturday, Nov. 8), and at Mammoth (Wednesday, Nov 12.)
Sabres Recall Isak Rosen From Rochester Americans
With Benson being placed on IR, the Sabres have recalled Rosen from the Americans. Rosen, 22, was drafted 14th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and has spent the last three seasons in the AHL. Rosen has 15 career games in the NHL and has recorded just one assist so far.
The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Isak Rosen from the Rochester Americans (AHL). pic.twitter.com/OumBHw5Llx
— Buffalo Sabres PR (@SabresPR) October 31, 2025
Rosen has been one of the Americans’ top producers, recording 50-plus points in each of the last two seasons. Rosen himself knows he needs to show the Sabres that he is capable of being a full-time NHLer. Rosen met with the media ahead of the Sabres’ rookie camp in September.
“It’s my fourth year, so it’s time to show that I want a jersey in Buffalo,” Rosen said. “And I’ve just got to take every opportunity I get here.”
Rosen needs to take this opportunity and run with it. Whether Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff plays him on the fourth line, or whether he played 16 minutes a night, he will need to make an impact on the team. That doesn’t necessarily mean he needs to score every night; it could mean being great on the forecheck, backcheck, and skate, and hustling hard while being a pest defensively, too.
The Sabres are not going to expect Rosen to be one of their better players. Still, the issue for some guys in the AHL who get recalled to the NHL is that they’re so used to producing offensively every night in the AHL. To earn a roster spot in the NHL, you have to do the dirty things, like get to the front of the net, work the corners, and make smart passes/plays. We’ll see if Rosen can do that in this stint with the Sabres.
With Benson sidelined and Rosen stepping in, the Sabres will look to maintain momentum as they navigate a critical stretch of the schedule. Rosen’s call-up offers a fresh opportunity for the young winger to showcase his offensive upside at the NHL level, while Benson’s absence opens the door for others to step up. As Buffalo continues to juggle development and playoff aspirations, every roster move carries weight—and this one could be a spark.
