A triceps injury has ended defenseman Dennis Wideman‘s interesting (to say the least) season, the Calgary Flames announced today.
Injury Update: Dennis Wideman will not play the remaining 12 games of the #Flames season due to a tricep injury.
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 18, 2016
The injury is an unfortunate conclusion to a season he will likely try all summer to forget.
His campaign will be remembered most for the suspension he was dealt for crosschecking linesman Don Henderson while skating back to the Flames bench after being hit by Nashville Predators forward Miikka Salomaki. In addition to that situation, on the ice Wideman saw his CF% Relative drop to a career low -4.5%. His points per game were nearly cut in half from last year’s 56 points, a career high. Wideman’s 0.37 points per game this season were also his lowest in ten years.
The 32-year old Kitchener native had his 20-game suspension cut to 10 games by independent arbitrator James Oldham. While the NHL disagreed with the decision, Wideman was immediately reinstated and played that very night as the Flames lost to the Arizona Coyotes 4-1.
Wideman played over 18-minutes per night in his two full games since returning from suspension. He played only seven shifts before being injured in Winnipeg. Wideman suffered the injury when he collided with fellow Flame Joe Colborne behind the net in Wednesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.
The loss of Wideman will presumably put further stress on an already depleted defensive corps that has also seen the departure of Kris Russel to the Dallas Stars at the trade deadline. T.J. Brodie is scheduled to return from injury in time to take Wideman’s spot on the roster. Brodie has missed the last three games with an injury.
Wideman has one year remaining on the 5-year, $26.25mm contract he signed with the Flames in 2012 that includes a no movement clause. He will make $6mm during the 2016-17 and will his contract will count $5.25mm against the salary cap.
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