Ekman-Larsson out with lower body injury
Arizona Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson will miss at least the next three games with a lower body injury, and will not make the trip with the team to Las Vegas, where the Coyotes will play the Vegas Golden Knights 8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday.
The Coyotes placed the defenseman on injured reserve Sunday, which requires that he be out a week minimum. That would force him to miss the two games at Vegas and one at home against he Golden Knights this Friday.
The Coyotes were scheduled to leave Sunday on their first road trip of the season.
Ekman-Larsson was injured with just under 11 minutes to go in the third period of Saturday's 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. A hit from the Sharks' Evander Kane appeared to knock Ekman-Larsson off balance, and his face and legs hit the boards behind the Coyotes' net as he fell to the ice.
Ekman-Larsson was helped off the ice by a trainer and did not return to the game. Kane was assessed a two-minute high sticking penalty, his third penalty of the game.
"It's unfortunate, but we're going to have to step up right now so it's something we'll deal with," Tocchet said. "The
next three, four, or five days he won't be available, and then we'll evaluate from there."
Ekman-Larsson tied a single-game career high with three assists before exiting due to injury. The Coyotes were ahead 5-2 at the time, and players including Lawson Crouse immediately responded by going after Sharks players after the hit.
Tocchet said Kyle Capobianco, who has been scratched the past two games, could take Ekman-Larsson's place on defense, or Jordan Gross could be elevated from the taxi squad.
Tocchet said he might prefer a righthanded shooting defenseman, which Gross is. That decision has to be made before Monday's game.