<p>BUFFALO, N.Y. — Sabres starting goalie Linus Ullmark will miss at least the next month with a lower-body injury, leaving Buffalo with one established netminder.</p>
<p>Captain Jack Eichel will also miss his second game but remains day to day with a lower body injury, coach Ralph Krueger said before Buffalo hosted the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.</p>
<p>Veteran backup Carter Hutton will take over and start both games of Buffalo’s weekend series against the Flyers, with minor league callup Jonas Johansson serving as backup.</p>
<p>High-priced forward <a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-flyers-nhl-ralph-krueger-jack-eichel-philadelphia-80f330020dfa5e62ecb70d4f4019715d">Jeff Skinner, however, is set to return</a> after being a healthy scratch the past three games. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen will play <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nhl-new-jersey-devils-rasmus-ristolainen-taylor-hall-buffalo-92cbbebe22a89dc3cd46ddd94ae04aa8">3 1/2 weeks after testing positive </a> for COVID-19 and spent two weeks in the NHL’s coronavirus protocol.</p>
<p>Forward Tobias Rieder will return after missing two games with an upper-body injury.</p>
<p>Krueger wouldn’t reveal details of Ullmark’s injury in calling it “a huge loss.” </p>
<p>Ullmark was shaken six minutes into a 4-3 overtime loss to New Jersey Devils on Thursday. He continued playing and stopped all 15 shots in the first period and did not return for the second period.</p>
<p>Ullmark has a 5-4-2 record and was coming off a 41-save outing in a 4-1 win at New Jersey on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Eichel was a late scratch after participating in pregame warmups on Thursday.</p>
<p>Skinner’s return comes amid questions of whether he and Krueger see eye to eye while the 11th-year player and seven-time 20-goal-scorer is in the midst of a slump. </p>
<p>In the second season of an eight-year, $72 million contract, Skinner has one assist in 14 games this season, and not scored in 18 games dating to last season.</p>
<p>“Hopefully, this proves to be a good little regroup to launch and excellent rest of the season for Jeff,” Krueger said. </p>
<p>Ristolainen had a severe bout with COVID-19 in which he experienced chest pains and fatigue. He will bolster a blue-line group that lost Jake McCabe (right knee) and Will Borgen (broken right forearm) this past week.</p>
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