2 min read • March 12, 2024
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As we alluded to in last week's report, Stone was set to miss an extended period of time and now we know the exact nature of his upper-body injury. The Knights announced Stone is out for the rest of the regular season due to a lacerated spleen with worry for his availability come playoff time. The injury occurred Feb. 20 and now without the star forward long term. This is something the Knights are accustomed to with the winger missing the second half of last year (23-9-7 minus Stone) due to back injury but was able to suit up Game 1 of postseason. Will monitor but good chance the forward is not ready for the start of playoffs.
The Vancouver Canucks starting goaltender will be sidelined for the next two to three weeks due to a knee injury suffered Saturday which caused him to leave with 13 minutes left in the second period. The netminder is likely dealing with a minor strain and with the Canucks firmly atop the Pacific division it is a good time to let Demko recover to maximum capacity. Before the diagnosis Demko had already been ruled out for the two Canucks games this week but will now be a longer absence meaning backup Casey DeSmith will get much needed playing time. Expect the goalie to come back sooner rather than later but the Vezina Trophy may become out of reach.
Ottawa is in the midst of another disappointing season sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic division and will finish the season without center Josh Norris for the second straight year. The US born forward has been bothered by shoulder injuries the last two years with this now being his second surgery. Shoulder issues began again early on this year with the forward missing three early games due to a reinjury to the shoulder in camp. After signing a huge contract in the summer of 2022, Norris has played just 58 out of a max 144. Expect Norris to be ready to start the new season but shoulder issues will always be a lingering concern.
The Swedish defenseman has been reported to be sidelined at least the next two weeks due to a troublesome lower-body injury he suffered Saturday versus the Calgary Flames. After colliding with a teammate the defenseman was forced to leave and ruled out soon after. The Florida Panthers third ranked d-man in terms of TOI (Time On Ice) missed the first 16 games of the year as he recovered from offseason back surgery. Ekblad was said to have played through a broken foot and torn oblique during last season's Stanley Cup run. This time around expect a shorter absence for the tough defenseman with the Panthers likely being precautionary as the playoffs near. Keeping the Swede healthy is a must as he was an integral part of their cup run and likely to again be this season.
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