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Quick update on the injury of Daniel Alfredsson, who has been forced to the sideline indefinitely after a hit by Wojtek Wolski last Saturday.
In a recent report by Sportsnet's Ian Mendes, Daniel Alfredsson cites 'lightheadedness' as his main issue right now. Exerting physical activity for spurts forces him into a precarious health situation, and he's been advised by team doctors and treating physicians to slow it all down.
There's no question that this is a tough break for Alfredsson, who looked fantastic after returning from back surgery last season. Alfredsson had seven points (4G/3A) playing mostly second-line minutes through ten games, and his positive influence on the rest of his team was quantifiable during the Ottawa Senators six-game winning streak.
When this team was getting bludgeoned early on, Alfredsson kept his poise and tried to help the younger players along. If the past few weeks are a measure of his work, then once again, he's done his job to near-perfection.
Now, he'll be forced to watch as the 'new guard' in Ottawa tries to produce in big spots with him on the mend.
Wolski, who was not reprimanded for the collision, has not yet reached out to Daniel Alfredsson regarding the incident. The New York Rangers and Wojtek Wolski are holding firm in their stance that the hit was nothing more than incidental and couldn't have been avoided.
General Manager Bryan Murray, Daniel Alfredsson, and the rest of the National Hockey League have been pretty vocal in the other direction, arguing that Wolski's 'intent' to deliver a head shot was obvious upon replay.
Dean of discipline Brendan Shanahan was on the fence about the decision, but ultimately felt that Wojtek Wolski's lack of track record held more weight than anything else. Shanahan stated that Wolski's clean slate did a lot to disprove the 'intent' argument voiced by the Ottawa Senators camp.
In the end, Ottawa will have to live with both the league's refusal to discipline Wolski and the loss of their captain for the time being. The latter, of course, is far more damning, as Alfredsson could be out for a significant amount of time with post-concussion symptoms.
Back with more tomorrow.
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