Taylor Hall will not be in the lineup for the Sabres against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, interim head coach Don Granato announced.
The scratch comes with the April 12 trade deadline less than a week away. Hall is a pending unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year deal to join the Sabres this past offseason.
Hall ranks third on the Sabres with 19 points (2+17) in 37 games this season.
“It’s part of the business, we all know that,” Granato said. “Taylor knows that. … This game keeps you in the moment and that’s preparation for New Jersey. We had a good meeting on them this morning and our focus points and objectives going into the game.”
Arttu Ruotsalainen could step into the lineup and make his NHL debut in Hall’s place. Ruotsalainen was reassigned to the taxi squad Monday after leading Rochester with 13 points in 13 games to begin this season
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].