Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Closing in on return

Kulich (lower body), who won't play Wednesday against the Hurricanes, could return as early as Friday against the Penguins, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.

Kulich sustained a lower-body injury against the Capitals on Jan. 6, and he's been on injured reserve over the past week. While he'll be forced to miss at least one more game, he's trending in the right direction and hasn't yet been ruled out for Friday. Regardless of whether he plays against Pittsburgh, head coach Lindy Ruff said that Kulich will definitely travel with the Sabres on their upcoming four-game road trip, which begins Monday in Seattle.