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The Nashville Predators have introduced that heart Ryan Johansen can be out for 12 weeks after present process surgical procedure on his proper leg.
Johansen left Tuesday night time’s 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks after a skate blade caught his decrease leg. Following the sport, Johansen was strolling across the enviornment in crutches, in keeping with Teresa Walker of the Associated Press.
The Predators have been already struggling for offense, particularly with Filip Forsberg sidelined resulting from a concussion, and dropping Johansen will solely make scoring objectives more durable. Even in a down 12 months, Johansen is fifth on the staff in objectives (12) and factors (28). He additionally performs an enormous position on Nashville’s prime energy play unit.
Players like Cody Glass and Mikael Granlund can be requested to choose up the slack in Johansen’s absence.
Seven factors out of the second Wild Card spot, the Predators are barely hanging on within the Western Conference playoff race, and there are rumblings that they may grow to be a vendor by the Mar. 3 commerce deadline. Johansen’s harm may make that call even simpler for normal supervisor David Poile.
If Nashville does go in that path, there are a couple of gamers who might get an honest return on the commerce market. Defensemen Dante Fabbro and Mattias Ekholm can be intriguing choices for groups trying to improve their blue line, and the Predators have a surplus of expertise on the goaltending place with Juuse Saros and Yaroslav Askarov.
