BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Sabres have placed forward Kyle Okposo on injured reserve and demoted defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the minors.
Okposo is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with his third concussion in less than three years. The 30-year-old was felled by a punch to the face during a fight with defenseman Tony DeAngelo in a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Feb. 15.
He told The Associated Press on Saturday that he is feeling good.
Coach Phil Housley said Okposo has begun skating on his own. Housley didn't provide a timetable but said he imagines Okposo returning to play this season.
"He skated again today, and those are all good signs for us," Housley said.
Okposo's concussion history includes him missing the final two weeks of the 2017-18 season and spending nearly a week in a hospital after what he called a routine hit in practice. He also missed three games last March after suffering a concussion in a collision with Ottawa's Bobby Ryan.
Pilut became the odd man out on defense, as he was sent down to AHL Rochester in moves made Friday, a day before Buffalo hosts Washington.
In corresponding moves, the Sabres recalled forwards Danny O'Regan and Scott Wilson from Rochester. Wilson returns to Buffalo after he missed the first three months of the season with an ankle injury.
