Bowen Byram won't play tonight in Buffalo, with the Chicago Blackhawks defenseman away attending to a family matter.
Jeff Blashill shared the news Saturday ahead of the game, per Ben Pope.
The team lists it as a personal absence, with Byram expected out until at least October 6.
Family comes first, full stop. Whatever is going on at home, nobody should be asking for more than he decides to share.
It's leaving work early for a call from home. The meeting can wait, and nobody worth listening to asks why.
Korchinski and Del Mastro will both play, while Sam Rinzel comes out of the lineup, according to Pope.
Does Chicago miss him on the ice? The Blackhawks have allowed 11 goals in two games.
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Jeff Blashill shuffles his blue line in Buffalo
Byram has no points and a -4 rating through two games.
Blashill now has to find those minutes somewhere, and the defensemen getting the call tonight will feel the extra load.
Byram carries a $6,250,000 cap hit, the kind of money that usually comes with big minutes on the back end.
Rinzel, 22, is a -2 in his two games on a $941,666 cap hit.
The Blackhawks opened with a 5-2 loss in Vegas and followed it with a 6-0 loss in Utah.
That's a -9 goal differential, with just two goals scored all season.
Spencer Knight sits at .889 through two appearances, while Arvid Soderblom posted an .813 in his appearance.
Andrew Mangiapane is also day-to-day with a lower-body injury, expected out until at least October 6 as well.
Lindy Ruff's Sabres are 0-1-0 after a 6-3 loss in Columbus, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen finishing that one at .773.
The Sabres also put Conor Sheary on waivers earlier this week, and they host Minnesota on Tuesday and Dallas on Thursday.
The Blackhawks' home opener comes Tuesday against St. Louis, after three straight road games to start the year.
Byram's status for that one is still open. For now, Chicago will chase its first win without him, and that's exactly how it should be.
Should the Blackhawks give Bowen Byram all the time he needs, even if it means missing the home opener?
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