NHL Injury News: Botls’ Brayden Point out 4-6 weeks; Wild’s Jared Spurgeon week-to-week with lower-body injury
Anthony Scultore
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The Tampa Bay Lightning announced today that they will be without the services of Brayden Point for four to six weeks.
Point was injured during Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils. He crashed hard into the wall in the third period after being tripped and immediately grabbed near his left shoulder and collarbone.
Lightning lose Point for 4-6 weeks
Point signed an eight-year, $76 million extension in July. The deal begins with the 2022-23 campaign and keeps Point under contract through the 2029-30 season. He has seven goals and six assists in 16 games.
“Can you replace players that are regarded as top-10 players in the League? No, those guys don’t just fall out of the sky,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “I think what replaces them is the collective group, our confidence in our structure, the mentality in how we play the game.”
NHL.com
The 25-year-old Point has been a key cog on Tampa Bay’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championship teams. He has 146 goals and 177 assists (323 points) in 367 games over five-plus seasons with the Lightning.
Point’s playoff performance has been ever better, as he scored the most postseason goals — 14 both times — in the NHL in each of the past two campaigns. Overall, Point has 36 goals and 37 assists in 67 postseason games.
Wild Spurgeon out week-to-week
Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, head coach Dean Evason said Tuesday.
The veteran defenseman, who turns 32 next week, sustained the injury during Saturday night’s 5-4 loss against the Florida Panthers.
Spurgeon has eight points (three goals, five assists) in 17 games and ranks third on the team in average time on ice (20:28).
“Are we worried? Yeah, for sure,” Evason told reporters. “Are we worried that Jared Spurgeon didn’t play in this game and moving forward? Sure. He’s everything to our hockey club. It’s a big, big hole. He drives the offense on the back end.
“He’s so good defensively, killing penalties, power play. But what he does within the room is pretty special. So, are we worried? Sure, but hopefully it shakes down (as) not as bad. Hopefully it isn’t.”
The Central Division-leading Wild recalled 21-year-old defenseman Calen Addison from AHL affiliate Iowa ahead of Wednesday’s game against the host New Jersey Devils.
–Field Level Media contributed to this report