Marcus Foligno has played the past two games on Buffalo's top line with Thomas Vanek sidelined with an upper-body injury. He was a healthy scratch against Florida last Thursday night, but in two appearances since then he has lined up alongside Cody Hodgson and Jason Pominville. Unfortunately, the move hasn't helped him end his lengthy scoring drought. Foligno hasn't netted a goal in 17 straight games and he has gone without a point in seven consecutive matches.

Marcus Foligno will be a healthy scratch Thursday against Florida. He has one goal in 20 contests this season and none his last 15, so the decision isn't shocking. Still, Foligno isn't worried about sitting for the first time this season. "I've got to know that I have a long career ahead of me and just keep working and learn from this," he said.

Marcus Foligno hasn't scored a goal in his last 15 games and he has found of the back just once in 20 contests. He has seen his ice time decrease the past two games, but that should pick up if he starts to play better. The Sabres are in desperate need of some secondary scoring and have plenty of players riding lengthy slumps, including Foligno. Nathan Gerbe has no goals in 16 games, while Drew Stafford has one marker in 20 contests and Jason Pominville has one tally in 10 matches.

Marcus Foligno got his first point of the 2013 campaign in his fifth game with the Sabres on Sunday. Foligno has racked up 10 shots and 11 penalty minutes so far, but his offensive production thus far hasn't been up to par with some of the expectations placed upon him going into the year. However, you should remember that he is still only 21 years of age and adjusting to the play of the NHL. Foligno was great last season in a small sample size of 14 games, so he will probably continue to improve as this season moves along.

Marcus Foligno will start the season on Buffalo's second line alongside Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford. Foligno has been on quite a roll. He was superlative in a 14-game trial with Buffalo last season registering 13 points. He was equally impressive with Rochester of the AHL this season registering 27 points in 33 games. If Foligno can stick on the Sabres' second unit, he could be a nice sleeper pick. By the way, the team's first line will feature Thomas Vanek, Cody Hodgson and Jason Pomminville.

Marcus Foligno is looking to pick up where he left off last season in the NHL after keeping himself ready in the minors. "You can't get frustrated. The lockout could get to you, knowing you had a good end to last year and had a good chance to start with Buffalo," Foligno said. "I had a lot of support from the coaching staff down there and the coaches from the Sabres always being down there watching. You always felt you were being scouted so it helped you to keep working hard and not be complacent." He had six goals and seven assists in 14 games with Buffalo last year and he registered 27 points in 33 contests with Rochester during the lockout. Foligno is expected to rejoin Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford in the team's top-six forward group, which should help him be among the top rookie scorers in the league in the shortened schedule.

Marcus Foligno recorded a goal and an assist in Rochester's 7-6 triumph over Lake Erie on Thursday night. Mark Mancari, Alex Biega, Kevin Porter and Luke Adam had a goal and a helper apiece as well in the high-scoring affair. Foligno has seven goals and 23 points in 23 games this season with Buffalo's AHL affiliate.

Marcus Foligno leads the Rochester Americans with 15 assists and 21 points in 22 games this campaign. "He plays a major role on the team in terms of asking him every night to produce offensively but also be a physical presence for us," said coach Ron Rolston. "In this league, that takes a lot of energy in the way he plays, the physical nature that he plays with. Whether he's got the puck or he doesn't have the puck, we want him to be an attacking player." Foligno is expected to be a part of the Buffalo Sabres once the lockout ends, so his AHL output early into this year has to be encouraging to the team's brass and to potential fantasy owners alike.

Marcus Foligno is tied for fourth place in the AHL scoring race with 15 points in 13 games. Foligno has been particularly hot lately with four points in two games. You have to take it with a grain of salt when a player excels in one of the European leagues, but you should pay attention to young players that dominant in the AHL during the lockout. They are prime candidate to breakout in the NHL once this work stoppage finally ends.

With six goals and eight assists in only 12 games, Marcus Foligno has been dominant in the AHL this season. Foligno was also on fire during his brief stint with the big club in 2011-12, recording 13 points in 14 games. It looks like he is going to be a solid player in the NHL once the lockout ends and will be worth a late-round flyer in fantasy drafts.