Sabres' Jack Eichel could suit up against Senators

Sabres centre Jack Eichel declared he's cleared every hurdle in recovering from a sprained left ankle, and coach Dan Bylsma said there's a possibility the centre will make his season debut at Ottawa on Tuesday.

"We'll see," Bylsma said Monday, giving no guarantees that Eichel will play against the Senators. But Bylsma noted he was impressed by how the player performed during consecutive days of rigorous practices.

"Jack looks good on the ice," Bylsma said. "It was a big test for him yesterday and seeing how he came in today was a big step for whether we're going to see him tomorrow."

Eichel practiced with his expected linemates, Evander Kane and Sam Reinhart, and also assumed his familiar role on the team's top power-play unit.

The next test is seeing whether Eichel experiences any setbacks overnight before determining whether he'll play.

Eichel has been out since hurting the ankle during practice on Oct. 12, a day before Buffalo's season opener against Montreal. He began practicing with the team last week and was scheduled to board the Sabres flight for a road trip for the first time this season.

"It's a step in the right direction just being able to head out there and put my best foot forward, but who knows what will happen tomorrow night," he said. "The patience is starting to wear thin, but you've got to make sure you're being smart."

Could provide boost to sputtering offence

Eichel, college hockey's top player during his freshman season at Boston University, was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft. He led the Sabres in scoring 24 goals and finished second among NHL rookies with 56 points in 81 games,

Eichel's pending return has the potential of providing the Sabres a boost, particularly on a sputtering offence.

Buffalo (7-9-5) has scored one or fewer goals in regulation 12 times this season, including eight of its past 12 outings.

Injuries have played a factor. Centre Ryan O'Reilly returned last week after missed five games with a strained oblique, while Evander Kane missed 11 games with broken ribs.

Buffalo is still playing without forward Tyler Ennis (sports hernia) and defencemen Zach Bogosian (sprained knee) and Dmitry Kulikov (lower back).

Eichel's mere presence in practice provided the Sabres a lift, with several teammates notably tapping their sticks each time Eichel scored.

"I think you see that's a little bit of relief for everybody," Bylsma said.

Eichel is eager to come to the rescue for a team that's 2-1-1 in its past four since ending a 0-6-2 skid.

"These are my best buddies, these are my teammates. You'd like to go through adversity with them and be able to play," Eichel said. "And not being able to do that has been pretty rough."