Which big hurt will hurt most?
NHL stars Gaudreau, Stamkos are out for Flames and Lightning.
Nov. 16, 2016, was not a good day for several teams on the wrong side of their stars’ injury diagnosis.
Among the biggest injury news: The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Steven Stamkos (lateral meniscus tear, out indefinitely), and the Calgary Flames’ Johnny Gaudreau (surgery on a fractured finger, timeline to be determined).
Here’s a look at how each team will be affected: Tampa Bay Lightning The fear is that Stamkos could miss months.
The 26-year-old had nine goals and 20 points in 17 games, a pace that would help him eclipse 40 goals and 90 points. Stamkos has been dominating; 3.29 points per 60 minutes at even strength ranks ninth in the NHL.
The Lightning have survived without Stamkos before. But even being 10-6-1 and sixth in goal scoring, they have yet to find their rhythm. They are a 50-per-cent possession team and middle of the pack in generating scoring chances.
Unlike the other teams on this list, though, the Lightning aren’t reliant on one player to power their offence and have upside in their lineup — from Nikita Kucherov to Victor Hedman to Tyler Johnson to Jonathan Drouin, who has been out with an upper body injury. Calgary Flames The Flames are off to a poor start at 6-10-1, rank 25th in goals per game and are struggling to maintain offensive zone pressure. Now they will be without one of the game’s best offensive players in Gaudreau, who had five goals and 11 points in 17 games this season after a 30-goal, 78-point 2015-16 campaign.
Gaudreau can carry an offence. But who will do it now?
Sean Monahan is on pace to record 19 goals and 29 points, and now he’s without his sidekick. Sam Bennett has shown signs, but he’s 20 years old and 40 points would be a fine season. Michael Frolik, the Flames’ second-leading scorer, last posted a 20-goal season in 2010.
Even an absence of several weeks means Gaudreau misses 10 games. The Flames are staring at another sub-.500 season.