Buffalo Sabres: Patrick Kaleta Returns to Practice

There was a familiar face at First Niagara Center on Saturday, as Patrick Kaleta returned to practice for the Buffalo Sabres. It was the first time Kaleta had joined his teammates on the ice since mid-February.

The winger hasn’t played in a game since February 10th, when the Sabres lost 2-1 against the Ottawa Senators. Kaleta had surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament, which included removing a bone chip from his knee.

The 28-year feels better than ever, as he discussed with John Vogl of the Buffalo News: “The way it looks in the video and stuff that we’ve done, my stride and my tracking in my knee is better than it was when I was playing. It’s just a matter of getting the strength back and the movement back.”

At this point, Kaleta is eager to play again some time in the next 14 games, before the season finishes: “It’s hard keeping me away from playing with this team. I love the Sabres so much that I would do anything to be in the lineup, to be part of the team. I’m doing my best.

Dec 23, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Patrick Kaleta (36) skates against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

“I’m pretty proud of myself for coming back from the injuries that I’ve had. Not a lot of people understand the things that I had to go through. I could have easily packed it up and took my time with it, but I’m raring to get back.”

Admittedly, the return of the 2004 176th overall NHL draft pick isn’t exactly high on the priority list, especially given that the Sabres are aiming to finish dead last in the league. Kaleta has endured a tough season even when he has been on the ice, managing just three assists and no goals in 33 games.

Regardless, one person who firmly believes Kaleta has a good chance of returning soon is his head coach Ted Nolan, as he told Bill Hoppe of buffalohockeybeat.com: “I think if there’s one of them, that’s the guy you’d bet on. He’s come through some tough injuries. He’s battled hard to work himself back in there.”

Giving everything the Angola, New York native has been through in the last year, he certainly has the mental fortitude to see action for the Sabres again before April 11th. He was famously involved in a well-publicized dispute with the NHL in 2013, with Gary Bettman allegedly pressuring then-GM Darcy Reiger to expel Kaleta from the league.