Buffalo Sabres star Josh Norris is expected to miss a “significant amount of time” with an upper-body injury, coach Lindy Ruff confirmed Saturday.

Norris was injured during a faceoff in Buffalo’s season-opening 4-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday. The forward was in obvious pain following the draw and did not return to the game.

“It’s nothing related to what he’s had in the past,” Ruff said.

Norris, 26, sustained a season-ending mid-body injury in his third game with the Sabres last season after being acquired in a March 7 trade with Ottawa.

He collected 35 points (21 goals, 14 assists) in 56 games last season between the Senators and Sabres. He is in the fourth season of the eight-year, $63.6 million extension he signed back in 2022.

Norris has totaled 158 points (91 goals, 67 assists) in 240 career games for Ottawa and Buffalo since being selected 19th overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2017. He was sent to the Senators in the Erik Karlsson blockbuster deal in September 2018.

–Field Level Media