Gionta (lower body) will not play in Saturday's game against the Lightning, Paul Hamilton of WGR 550 Buffalo reports.

EDGE Analysis

Gionta is still dealing with the effects of a lower-body injury he suffered during Wednesday's practice, and he will be sidelined for the second straight game. It remains to be seen if he will be ready for the Sabres' next game Monday against the Blue Jackets.

Gionta (lower body) is not practicing Friday, Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

The nature of Gionta's injury is unclear at this point, and he should be considered day-to-day until the team says otherwise. His absence from Friday's session does not bode well for his chances to suit up Saturday afternoon against Tampa Bay.

Gionta is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, but Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said the winger will be out for Thursday's game against the Senators, ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reports.

EDGE Analysis

Previous reports mentioned that Gionta sustained the injury during practice Wednesday, though details are still vague beyond that information. While the 36-year-old winger's best years are likely in the rearview mirror, Gionta could see an uptick in value with a quick return to health, and provided he ends up getting consistent minutes with prospect Jack Eichel and the tough offensive contributor Evander Kane, sooner than later.

Gionta is day-to-day after sustaining a lower body injury during practice on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

After being named captain earlier in the week, it's unfortunate for the 36-year-old that he sustained this injury just before the season starts. It's unclear how the injury occurred or the severity of it, but the veteran forward will do his best to be on the ice when the Sabres' season starts on Thursday.

Head coach Dan Bylsma said Gionta will be the Sabres' captain for the 2015-16 season.

EDGE Analysis

It's no secret that the 36-year-old is declining, having gone from 48 goals a decade ago to 13 goals last season. Still, he's got speed to burn, plenty of experience and a hometown boy to boot. He's firmly entrenched in the Sabres' top-nine and there's no good reason to strip him of his captaincy right now. Gionta only retains fantasy value if he gets to play with Jack Eichel or Evander Kane.

Head coach Dan Bylsma said Gionta will be the Sabres' captain for the 2015-16 season.

EDGE Analysis

It's no secret that the 36-year-old is declining, having gone from 48 goals a decade ago to 13 goals last season. Still, he's got speed to burn, plenty of experience and he's a hometown boy to boot. He's firmly entrenched in the Sabres' top-nine and there's no good reason to strip him of his captaincy right now. Gionta only retains fantasy value if he gets to play with Jack Eichel or Evander Kane.

Gionta stayed hot Friday, netting a power-play goal and adding an assist in a loss to Columbus. Gionta has been a machine of late, cranking out six goals and 13 points in his last nine games. Six of his last nine outings have been multi-point games and he's now up to 35 points in 68 games on the season. Skating on the top power-play unit, the red-hot 36-year-old is worth starting for Saturday's regular-season finale against Pittsburgh.

Gionta generated a goal and assist in Monday's 4-3 win over the Hurricanes. Gionta looked to be on his last legs with only 19 points on the season through mid-March, but he's inexplicably turned it on since that time. In his last 12 games, Gionta has five goals and nine assists. That is impressive for even the Crosbys and Ovechkins of the world, much less a forward employed by the Buffalo Sabres. Ride this hot streak out and see if the 36-year-old can give your team a boost over the final few contests of the regular season.

Gionta collected two assists in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Maple Leafs. The winger has been a fantasy bright spot for the bottom dwelling Sabres this season, and now has eight points in his last five games. With 11 goals and 19 assists in 64 games on the season, he brings a decent amount of production to the table that most fantasy owners have likely overlooked.

Gionta potted a goal -- a short-handed tally -- and added an assist in Monday's 4-1 win over Arizona. He now has nine points in his last eight games. Despite the hot streak, we'd be remiss not to put an asterisk beside this particular box score, as both points came with an empty Arizona net in the last two minutes of the game. Still, Gionta has cranked it up since mid-March, with nearly a third of his 28 points this season coming in the last eight contests. You could certainly roll the dice on him if you're making a very late push for a fantasy title, but just remember: he plays for Buffalo, who have been terrible all year.