Former Ottawa Senator Josh Norris Misses Saturday Win In Buffalo Due To Injury

Former Ottawa Senators centre Josh Norris was a fan favourite during his seven years with the organization. However, when fans spoke of him, there was always the one glaring concern: his ongoing battle with injuries.

Mar 12, 2025; Buffalo Sabres center Josh Norris (13) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Over the past six years, Norris has undergone three surgeries on the same shoulder, and his inability to stay in the lineup was a significant worry, especially while using nearly $8 million in cap space and making $9.5 million in actual salary this year and the two after this.

Earlier this month, Norris returned to the Senators lineup after missing six games, which, at a glance, might seem like a small blip in an otherwise healthy season. But in real-time, the injury layoff was a lot longer than that. He played on February 1st, missed the next four games, rested during the two weeks of the 4 Nations Face-off, and then missed the first two Senator games coming out of the break.

His return on March 1st was six days before the trade deadline, and when the Buffalo Sabres acquired him, they knew they were rolling the bones on that sketchy medical history. The Sabres acquired Norris along with defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker in exchange for Dylan Cozens, defenceman Dennis Gilbert, and a second-round pick.

However, just three games into his Sabres career, Norris is sidelined again with an undisclosed injury. Norris missed practice on Friday, and according to head coach Lindy Ruff, it's "something he's been dealing with." He didn’t clarify whether it was a new issue or related to the one that sidelined him throughout February.

Norris was not in the lineup for Saturday's game, but the Sabres weathered the storm, securing a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.

With five years still left on his contract, the Sabres will be crossing their fingers hard – just as the Sens used to do – that Norris will soon leave his injury troubles behind and get back to being the 35-goal man he was three years ago. Here's hoping this latest setback is brief because, through it all, Norris remains an easy kid to root for.

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