"It may not be all the Buffalo Sabres want or need for Christmas but they could use defenseman Tyler Myers on the ice. The 6-foot-8 Myers keeps progressing from his broken wrist and has another appointment with team doctors on Monday.

Myers isn't ruling out a return to games late next week, although coach Lindy Ruff said that's probably premature. Myers has been out since suffering the injury Nov. 19 against Phoenix, when the Sabres were 12-8-0. They're 4-7-3 since and have sunk to 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

"I know I'm close [to returning]," Myers said after skating with the team for an hour Friday morning in First Niagara Center. "It's just a matter of getting where I need to be before I jump in.""