Josh Norris’ awful injury luck persisted Sunday as the Buffalo Sabres center was ruled out on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body issue.
Norris missed Buffalo’s last two games after being cross-checked in the ribs Wednesday, which forced him to depart in the second period of a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Coach Lindy Ruff said Norris would not travel on the team’s upcoming road trip, which begins with visits to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday and Nashville Predators on Tuesday.
“Not really recovering the way we had hoped, but there’s nothing definitive,” Ruff said.
Injuries have continually interrupted Norris’ six-year career. He missed 24 games earlier this season after being hurt on a faceoff in the Sabres’ opener in October.
Buffalo acquired Norris from the Ottawa Senators at last season’s trade deadline, then shut him down after three appearances due to an oblique issue.
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 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 19 games this season and 175 points (97 goals, 78 assists) in 258 career games.
The Sabres are 13-6-0 with Norris in the lineup this season and 13-10-5 without him. They hold the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
