NHL Injury News: Sabres Lose Josh Norris for Significant Amount of Time

Josh Norris, Buffalo Sabres center awaits a faceoff

This is another critical season for the Buffalo Sabres who are trying to finally take that next step towards a playoff berth. But it's starting on a sour note, as the team has announced that key center Josh Norris will be out for 'a significant amount of time' with an upper-body injury.

Lindy Ruff says Josh Norris will miss “a significant amount of time,” but is still being evaluated. pic.twitter.com/AlCQNlV9vF
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 11, 2025

"He's going to miss a significant amount of time," said head coach Lindy Ruff. "I don't know what that amount is for sure. He's still being evaluated." Ruff claimed that it's "nothing related to what he's had in the past." And there have been plenty of issues that he's had in the past.

The latest injury occurred in Thursday night's season-opening 4-0 loss to the New York Rangers. Norris went down innocently enough, after taking a face-off in the neutral zone late in the third period.

Josh Norris went down on the faceoff and struggled to get off the ice #LetsGoBuffalo #NYR pic.twitter.com/hdOruHkMSS
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) October 10, 2025

Josh Norris has only finished 2 of his 4 games with the Sabres

Norris arrived in Buffalo last season in a trade deadline deal that sent Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators. And after notching two points in three games, Norris suffered a season-ending oblique injury. The snakebit injury-prone center has missed 132 games over the last three seasons, mainly due to three shoulder surgeries.

Josh Norris has played four regular season games for the Sabres.

He has only finished the game in two of them.
— The Sabre Report (@TheSabreReport) October 10, 2025

The Sabres are trying to snap a record 14-season playoff drought this year. Not a great start.