The first quarter of the 2016-17 NHL season has provided some insight in to what we can expect around the league with the top contenders creating some early separation from the rest of the pack. There are some key injuries that have had a major impact on the outlook for teams around the league with four in particular that stand out the most. Here is a look at the biggest early season injuries in the NHL so far and how their teams have dealt with them.
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
After signing a massive eight-year, $68-million deal with Tampa Bay in the offseason, Stamkos was on pace for his best season in years with nine goals and 20 points in 17 games. However, Stamkos suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee that will keep him out indefinitely and the Lightning have placed their captain on long-term injury reserve. The timeframe for the injury is expected to be four to six months, so the earliest Tampa Bay would likely expect Stamkos back would be the playoffs. Moving him to LITR means that the Lightning will have full cap relief in excess of the $8 million they were set to pay him this season so they could get creative before the trade deadline and attempt to add some key players. However, GM Steve Yzerman said it isn’t realistic to add a star player while Stamkos is out so it looks like they will stay the course with what they have on their current roster. Tampa Bay is 3-2-0 since Stamkos went down and at 13-8-1 they still have an opportunity to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference even without Stamkos in the lineup.
Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
Calgary will be without their top scorer Gaudreau for the next couple of months after he suffered a broken finger after getting slashed in a loss to the Minnesota Wild earlier this month. Gaudreau had 11 points in 17 games before he went down. Unfortunately for the Flames, they don’t have the same level of scoring depth that the Lightning has assembled and therefore the loss of Gaudreau will be felt that much more over the next couple of months.
Calgary currently ranks 25th in the NHL with an average of 2.3 goals per game. They have scored just six goals in their last three games and haven’t scored more than three goals in a game in 15 games. Clearly, this is a team you want to be betting unders with. Gaudreau’s injury will have a much greater impact on their record than is the case with Stamkos in Tampa Bay.
Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils
New Jersey is another team that will really feel the loss of their star scorer as Hall will miss approximately three to four weeks with a left ankle injury. Hall had 12 points in his first 14 games with the Devils but he has a history of injuries and the latest will really hurt New Jersey’s offensive potential over the next couple of weeks. The Devils rank 24th in the NHL with an average of 2.3 goals per game so they have to be looking forward to Hall getting back in the lineup with the hope that he can stay healthy the rest of the season.
The good news is that NJ.com reported that Hall is skating on his own now and is ahead of schedule. He was initially supposed to be out for up to a month but seems like he’ll be able to return a little bit sooner than that.
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings
The fact that the Kings have been able to stay relevant since their star goaltender Jonathan Quick suffered a groin injury in their season opener is a testament to their depth and the job that Darryl Sutter has done as head coach. Los Angeles opened the year with a 4-6-0 record, but has gone 7-3-1 in 11 games since and is currently in a playoff spot at 11-9-1.
The steady play of Peter Budaj has been a bright spot but his 2.10 goals against average has in part been a result of the outstanding defensive play in front of him. Quick is considered month-to-month with the expectation he could return some time in 2017 and it appears as though Los Angeles will continue to lean on Budaj until Quick is ready to return.
