Injuries in professional hockey go hand in glove. Especially during intense training camp practices and games when players are looing to secure their roster spots and earn the respect of the management and teammates.
In the past 96 hours, we've seen several noteworthy NHL players get injured, some worse then others On Sunday, Ottawa Senators power forward Bobby Ryan suffered an "undisclosed injury" when he collided with a teammate during an intra-squad scrimmage. The team would not specify about the exact injury that Ryan suffered but there was concern that he had suffered a concussion. Ryan was held out of the last half of Sunday's Red vs. White scirmmage after he had his "bell rung" (Ryan's words). Ryan didn't play in either of Monday's pre-season games against the New York Islanders, as doctors wanted to be certain that he didn't experience any concussion symptoms. Ryan will become UFA on July 1, 2015. He recently passed on a seven year, $49 million contract extension offer made to him by the Sens.
Also on Sunday, super prospect Teuvo Teravainen suffered a serious injury when he collided with a teammate. On Wednesday, he confirmed that he was “a little bumped up… during a scrimmage. Cam Barker, a training camp try out guy, lowered the boom on the best prospect in Chicago's organization. The 20-year-old Finnish forward's head was the are of impact. Teravainen returned to practice on Wednesday but will not be in the lineup when the Blackhawks travel to play the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
Teravainen missed the last three days of scrimmages and practices. Are the Blackhawks concerned? You better believe I they are.
On Tuesday, Detroit Red Wings magician Pavel Datsyuk suffered a grade two shoulder separation and will be lost to his team for 5-6 weeks. Datsyuk, who played just 47 games last season because of knee problems, was injured when he was checked into a metal divider in the glass with in the dying minutes of Monday's exhibition opener at Pittsburgh. Datsyuk is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Why the Hell was he even on the ice on Monday night? What does he have to prove to anyone in the NHL? The guy is a living legend not some tomato can looking for a fourth line job in Detroit.
Also on Tuesday night, Carolina Hurricanes power center Jordan Staal broke his leg/ankle when he and Sabres D Josh Gorges collided causing the Buffalo defender to fall on top of Staal, whose right leg was underneath his body. No timetable has been set on Staal's return to the lineup.
On Wednesday, NY Rangers speedy center Derek Stepan suffered a broken fibula while practicing with the Rangers. Stepan, the Rangers' top line center, has never missed a regular-season game in his four-year career. He broke his left fibula during a speed, sprint drill. He was helped off the ice by teammates Mats Zuccarello and Marty St. Louis. A freak injury to be sure. It will be a huge source of concern for the defending Eastern Conference champs.
Injuries happen. Its a cruel reality to say that the show must go on. But that's the nature of the beast in the NHL. The teams with solid organizational depth in their pipeline will be able to fortify from within their families. The not so stocked teams will suffer dramatic consequences. In the case of the Rangers, they have center depth and will be able to fill Stepan's role from within. However, the Senators, Red Wings and Hurricanes won't be so lucky. Good luck trying to find another Bobby Ryan, Pavel Datsyuk and Jordan Staal on the fly.
I feel like the Rangers will survive the loss of Stepan in the short term and can compete without him in the lineup. The Senators said Wednesday that Ryan will be returning to action tonight. However, what of Ryan suffers a set back with symptoms that flare up? What happens if he sustains another "undisclosed injury" in the near future? In the case of Datsyuk, the Wings will have to try to find a prospect who can step up and step in for the next 6 weeks. They have serious depth in their Grand Rapids pipeline. Scratch top prospect Anthony Mantha from the list of possible replacements for Datsyuk. The hulking sniper suffered a broken leg late last week and will be off the ice for the next 5-7 weeks. In the case of Staal, the Canes will try to absorb his loss by a committee approach. Teravainen injury could have been avoided. Barker, a former Hawks first rounder, has turned into an NHL suitcase and is desperate to catch the eye of Joel Quennville in this training camp. Dropping the top prospect in the organization will raise more than a few eyebrows.
Why risk getting top players and prospects injured?
Maybe NHLPA members should take a page out of the NFLPA's hand book:
The stars skip the exhibition games and save themselves for when the games really matter. During the regular season and playoffs. Maybe the stars should wear designer suits and sit in the press box while the "bubble guys" and free agents pound the crap out of each other in their attempts to catch the attention of GMs and coaches.
The NHL has to do a better job of protecting its star players from catastrophic injuries and near misses.
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Speaking of injuries, Sabres D-man Mark Pysyk was injured after skating just 54 second in the first period of Tuesday night's 2-0 win over Carolina. Pysyk is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury.
His loss of ice time is another player's gain.
The Sabres have a bevy of D prospects fighting to earn a roster spot on the Buffalo blue line, including Rasmus Ristolainen, Jake McCabe, Nikita Zadorov, and Chad Ruhwedel.
I have Ristolainen penciled in as a to six D in Buffalo when camp breaks, which create a serious battle for the seventh D spot.
Even before the Pysyk injury, I liked McCabe to lock down and earn that spot. The 2012 2nd rounder (44th overall) out of the University of Wisconsin has really impressed his coaches the past two summers at rookie development camp. I told McCabe recently that stylistically, his game reminds me of former Sabres and Team USA hero Mike Ramsey. McCabe has the NHL IQ right now as well as the NHL physique (6'1" 200 lbs). He plays a smothering D style, always seems to have his stick in the correct position, can skate like a freight train, can make the tape to tape first pass, and can join the offensive rush when he sees the opportunity.
McCabe is the total package and he looked exceptionally well in his brief stint in Buffalo at the end of last season.
The Pysyk injury creates an opportunity for another D to step up and claim the roster spot. I like McCabe's chances to do so. He starred at the U of Wisconsin for three seasons while his peers were toiling in major junior hockey. He'll turn 21 in a couple of weeks and in my opinion, is ready for an NHL opportunity.
Thanks, Sabres.com
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Crosby or Ovechkin?
McDavid or Eichel?
You can't mention one without mentioning the other.
Right now, its a neck and neck race for the #1 prospect for the 2015 NHL Draft between McDavid and Eichel. Sabres fans will get an up close and personal scouting session with Eichel on Tuesday night when the young New Englander plays in Chateau Pegula in the CCM All American Prospects Game. Former Sabres great Mike Grier will be coaching against Ed Olczyk.
As an equal time provision, McDavid and his Erie Otters will be laying the Niagara Ice Dogs in Buffalo on October 25.
I can't wait to see both of these electrifying forwards create a buzz in Buffalo.
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