Leino may play Saturday

[donnachan]

Leino may play Saturday

Ville Leino (foot) might have been overly optimistic when he mentioned the possibility of returning Saturday, according to Sabres coach Lindy Ruff.

The good news is Ruff does think Leino will return next week. Leino has three goals and 10 points in 29 games this season

Ville Leino wants to improve his conditioning before returning to the Buffalo Sabres ' lineup.

Leino, who has been sidelined since mid-December while recovering from a broken foot, was hoping to play Saturday after participating in two practices this week. ?However, he now believes he may need a few more scrimmages under his belt before he returns to action. "There's no pain in the foot, so I'm getting close," Leino said. "I would say a couple games here, maybe Saturday, maybe Tuesday. ... I want to get a little more conditioning going, a little more skating going so I'll feel more comfortable when the game comes." Put Leino on your fantasy radar for the week of January 9th.

Ville Leino, who skated for the first time since he broke his foot on December 13th in the Buffalo Sabres' morning skate Tuesday, indicated he may play this Saturday. ?

Although that is a very optimistic statement by the Finnish winger, it does show how quickly he will progress now that he is back on skates. Get ready to activate him in the next 4-7 days