The Florida Panthers will be without Russian forward Evgenii Dadonov for next four to six weeks, head coach Bob Boughner announced Monday. Dadonov sustained a shoulder injury in Saturday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
#FlaPanthers coach Bob Boughner says timeline for Evgenii Dadonov (upper body injury) is 4-6 weeks.
— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) November 27, 2017
Evgenii Dadonov to Miss 4-6 Weeks
Dadonov underwent an MRI on Sunday to assess the damage to his shoulder. The injury came following a hit from Chicago’s Cody Franson, which removed Dadonov from the game.
The loss of Dadonov comes as a blow to an already struggling Panthers offense. Since returning to Florida from a five-season stint in the KHL, Dadonov has recorded 18 points in 22 games, placing him fourth in Panthers scoring.
Panthers Lose Key Offense
After an unsuccessful first run in the NHL, Dadonov returned to the KHL. He spent two seasons with Donbass HC before signing with SKA Saint Petersburg. Dadonov helped to lead Saint Petersburg to a 2015 Gagarin Cup win. He tied Artemi Panarin for second in team scoring in the 2015 playoffs.
Though he was unable to secure a roster spot with the Panthers after being drafted by the club in 2007, Dadonov has become one of the club’s most important offensive producers to start the 2017-18 season. Dadonov has become a force on the Panthers top line alongside Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Only Vincent Trocheck has scored more goals for Florida than Dadonov this season.
Replacements
Florida will have to look to cover the gap created by Dadonov’s absence. After announcing the injury, the Panthers recalled Denis Malgin from the AHL Springfield Thunderbirds. Malgin has recorded 13 points in 14 games with Springfield this season. Per Boughner, Malgin will slot directly into Dadonov’s spot on the top line in the Panthers Monday night matchup against the New Jersey Devils.
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