"Ville Leino was a surprise participant in the Buffalo Sabres' morning skate Tuesday and had some even more surprising news afterward when he said he might try to return this weekend from the broken foot that has sidelined him for nine games.

Leino started skating on his own Sunday and joined the team in a non-contact role Tuesday. He looked good moving around and did another half-hour of skating drills with assistant coaches after the rest of the team left the ice.

"It's his first time out, and he skated a couple times on his own," coach Lindy Ruff said prior to the game against the Edmonton Oilers. "In his case, he should be able to progress pretty fast.""