Buffalo Sabres place Rasmus Dahlin (undisclosed) on IR

The Buffalo Sabres announced on Thursday that defenseman Riley Stillman has been added to the active roster, while defenseman Rasmus Dahlin has been placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed health concern.

Dahlin's loss is a significant blow for the Sabres as they continue to battle for a playoff spot. They’ve conceded nine goals in their past two outings with Dahlin out nursing his undisclosed injury. While they were able to rally for seven goals to defeat the Washington Capitals, not-so-lucky in their other contest sans the star, with poor defense costing them points against the league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets.

The 22-year-old has been one of the top defensemen in the league this season, recording a jaw-dropping 62 points in 56 games. He leads all Sabres skaters in ice time, averaging 26:01 per game. Just how long Dahlin might remain out of action is a critical question. Still being labeled as day-to-day, he could conceivably be activated ahead of Monday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers if he requires essentially no rehab time. The move to injured reserve confirms he’ll miss at least the next two games regardless. Those two non-Dahlin contests will come against the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning.

As for Dahlin's temporary replacement on roster, Stillman is ready to join the team after being acquired Monday from the Vancouver Canucks and clearing immigration hurdles. Although he provides NHL experience, he doesn’t move the needle much to fill in for someone of Dahlin’s caliber. It means the pressure shifts almost entirely to rookie Owen Power to ensure the Sabres keep their collective heads above water in the playoff race.

The 24-year-old Stillman had played in 32 games for the Canucks before being traded over to Buffalo, registering a modest five assists in that space. Now on his fourth NHL team, Stillman could relieve Jacob Bryson in the lineup. Bryson's pairing with Ilya Lyubushkin has been the team’s worst in terms of expected goals among pairings with at least 150 minutes together, per MoneyPuck.

Buffalo remains in a playoff spot by points percentage, but the New York Islanders and now-fortified Ottawa Senators are hot on their tails.