The Buffalo Sabres have won four of their past five games, and they’re finally out of the Atlantic Division basements. And by the sounds of it, the Sabres are going to get some more good news, as veteran center Josh Norris is nearing a return to action after missing every Sabres game since being injured in Buffalo’s first game of the season, missing the next 21 games.

But let’s be real here – given Norris’ unfortunate history of injuries, you can’t rely on Norris until such time as he proves he can stay healthy for long stretches of time. And even then, considering that Norris has only played as many as 66 games just one time in his NHL career, there are going to be skeptics he can do that. (And he won’t do that this season.)

“It’s never easy being out, and there’s only so much you can control,” Norris told media Tuesday. “You just come to the rink every day and do the things you can do, and stay on top of things that come up and just be a pro. Unfortunately, I’ve been on the wrong side of it for a little bit now, so that’s really frustrating personally.”

If it’s frustrating being Norris right now, imagine how tough it is for Sabres fans right now. They’ve been hopeful the moves Sabres GM Kevyn Adams were going to pan out, but the final judgement has yet to be made on the Norris trade that sent Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators. Cozens is thriving as a Senator, with eight goals and 16 points in 22 games. 

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Norris is always going to be measured against Cozens, and at the moment, and while things can change, as it stands right now, you’d have to say that Ottawa is the winner of that trade.

That said, if Buffalo does get Norris back this coming weekend, the Sabres are clearly going to be a better team. Buffalo’s strength down the middle wasn’t great even with Norris in the lineup, but without him, the Sabres’ lack of depth at center was exposed. And there was no way Adams was going to be able to acquire a proven pivot of a high-end caliber. 

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We should remember that Norris has played exactly four games with the Sabres. With expectations that are managed for him, he can be an effective player for Buffalo. But the durability question is always going to linger for Norris, and the Sabres desperately need him to be a difference-maker and needle-mover – and above all else, to stay in the lineup. 

If he can do that, all this waiting around for Norris will be worth it.