WASHINGTON — Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon was anticipated to take a seat out two to 3 weeks due to an obvious proper leg harm after being slew-footed earlier this week by Nashville’s Zachary L’Heureux, who was suspended three video games for his actions.
General supervisor Bill Guerin known as Spurgeon “week to week” with out going into additional specifics in regards to the harm aside from confirming surgical procedure wouldn’t be required.
“It’s not as unhealthy as we initially thought,” Guerin mentioned Thursday earlier than his workforce performed on the Washington Capitals. “It’s nonetheless unhealthy sufficient as a result of he isn’t in our lineup. … And, clearly, that is not nice for our workforce.”
Spurgeon’s proper leg bent awkwardly when he crashed into the boards after having his skates taken out from below him and shoulders pushed backward by L’Heureux early within the second interval of the groups’ sport Tuesday. L’Heureux was ejected with a match penalty and loses $13,490 in wage as a part of the suspension after having a disciplinary listening to with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.
Guerin mentioned he was “not comfortable” with the play. Though that is L’Heureux’s first suspension within the NHL, he was concerned in 9 incidents on the junior stage and two extra within the American Hockey League. That historical past cannot be factored into Player Safety’s resolution.
“That’s not for me to reply that,” Guerin mentioned. “That’s a query for the league. The league has their course of, they usually dealt with it. We dwell with that. In the top it does not get our participant again. That’s what makes me lose sleep at night time is that they get their participant again in three video games. Ours is out two to 3 weeks.”
Minnesota has been enjoying with out defenseman Jake Middleton for nearly a month since he took a puck off his proper hand. Leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov can also be daily due to a lower-body harm.
Middleton might return as quickly as subsequent week. The Wild have no real interest in speeding again Kaprizov, an MVP contender who ranked fourth within the league with 23 objectives and eighth with 50 factors going into Thursday’s video games.
“We don’t need him to return again and push by means of,” Guerin mentioned. “He might, nevertheless it might make one thing worse. We want him for the lengthy haul. We do not simply want him for a pair video games in January. We want him to get wholesome and really feel higher, so we’re attempting to do the correct factor and simply have a look at it from the lengthy viewpoint.”
Spurgeon is dealing with one other prolonged absence a yr after season-ending hip and again surgical procedures. Those accidents restricted him to 16 video games final season.
“It’s unlucky as a result of it is one thing clearly you assume could be preventable, however it’s the sport, so that you get damage,” coach John Hynes mentioned. “Spurgy’s a mentally robust man. He’ll ensure that he is able to get again as quickly as he can.”
Spurgeon, 35, was enjoying properly earlier than being injured this time, placing up 4 objectives and 9 assists for 13 factors whereas skating practically 21 minutes a sport.
“It’s brutal,” teammate and fellow defenseman Brock Faber mentioned. “He’s going to return again from it stronger than ever. That’s how he’s. That’s what he does. There’s little question in our minds that he’ll get by means of this factor.”
Hynes and the teaching employees cautioned they do not need Faber, Jonas Brodin and others on the blue line to overcompensate and tackle an excessive amount of whereas Spurgeon is unavailable.
“Those guys simply should proceed to do what they do,” Hynes mentioned. “Spurgy’s not with us, however nobody’s going to switch him, so everybody has to play their position. Brodin and Faber do not should do something totally different as a result of Spurgeon’s out. They nonetheless play enormous minutes. They nonetheless play necessary conditions. They’ve simply acquired to do their job.”
