Updated:
Buffalo Sabres top four defenseman Jake McCabe is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair an injured shoulder. In a statement, the Sabres announced McCabe will be lost to his team for the remainder of the 2017-18 season.
“Jake has been progressing well in his recovery from his previous injury, but we decided that this was a good opportunity to take care of a problem that he has been dealing with for a while,” Sabres General Manager Jason Botterill said. “Jake will have time to fully recover before the beginning of the 2018-19 season.”
As of Tuesday, the Sabres have lost 205 man games to injury this season. This places the Sabres and Anaheim Ducks in the top two of most injured teams in the NHL.
With long term injuries to McCabe, Jack Eichel and Zach Bogosian, the Sabres will likely end up leading the NHL in man games lost at season’s end.
McCabe was placed in IR in February 8 with a thumb injury. He has missed the past six games.
McCabe’s surgical procedure has an estimated recovery time of four to six months.
In 53 games this season, McCabe scored 3 goals and 9 assists.
In 215 career NHL games, McCabe has 10 goals, 37 assists and 118 PIMs.
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Is it always sunny in Philadelphia?
The Flyers find themselves locked in a street fight in the Metro Division octagaon. The Flyers are not assured nor guaranteed a playoff berth. The Flyers enter Tuesday night’s action tied with New Jersey (70 points) for third place in the Metro.
The next dominoes will fall quickly. Watch the NY Islanders and NJ Devils go out and acquire a goaltender in the coning days. Keep and eye on the Pittsburgh Penguins, too. Jim Rutherford won the last two Stanley Cups while playing two different gaolies in Matt Murray and Marc Andre Fleury. Matt Murray and (insert back up goalie name here) will be aiming to three peat. As Murray goes, so go the Penguins.
Other teams looking for goaltending upgrades are Anaheim, Vancouver and Colorado.
Brutal injuries to key players is causing high anxiety for the Flyers.
Flyers GM Ron Hextall fixed his goaltending situation on Monday night. With goaltender Michal Neuvirth out 4-6 weeks with a lower-body injury and goalie Brian Elliott out for 6 weeks due to lower body surgery, the Flyers acquired Petr Mrazek from the Detroit Red Wings on Monday. Mrazek and Alex Lyon are now tasked with keeping the Flyers train on the tracks during these trying goaltending times.
On Tuesday, he will have to replace his heart and soul power forward.
Hextall announced Tuesday morning that Wayne Simmonds will be lost for 2-3 weeks with an upper-body injury.
Simmonds has played in all 59 games this season. The rugged winger has scored 20 goals and 17 assists. This marked the fifth consecutive seasons he has scored 20 or more goals, and six of his seven seasons as a Flyer - the only season he produced less than 20 goals was the 48-game lockout shortened season in 2012-13 when he potted 15 goals in 45 games.
He also leads the Flyers with 10 power-play goals which also ranks fifth among all players in the NHL.
Hexy recalled AHL all star forward Oskar Lindblom on Monday and could make his NHL debut versus Montreal on Tuesday night.
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