The Anaheim Ducks announced that top defenseman Cam Fowler is sidelined for two to six weeks with a shoulder injury. Fowler will be evaluated in about a week to determine the severity of the injury and his official recovery time.
This announcement also included goaltender John Gibson, who is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
INJURY UPDATES:
Defenseman Cam Fowler suffered a shoulder injury against Colorado and is out for 2-6 weeks.
Goaltender John Gibson, who suffered an upper-body injury against Colorado, is day-to-day.
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 3, 2018
Cam Fowler, John Gibson Injured With Little Season Left
Both injuries occurred during Easter Sunday’s win against the Colorado Avalanche. Fowler took a hit from Blake Comeau along the boards in the third and did not return.
Gibson, however, did not start the second period after being run over by Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog. Gibson was coming off being named the NHL’s No. Three Star of the Week.
While Gibson could return soon, the loss of Fowler is deemed more severe to affect the Ducks playoff push.
So far this season, the intimidating Canadian scored eight goals and 24 assists for 32 points. He also added a relatively low 28 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 48.5 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of 0.3.
Over his eight-year NHL career, he has put up 53 goals and 196 assists for 249 career points in 561 career games. He was originally drafted by the Ducks in the 1st round, 12th overall of the 2010 NHL draft.
Coach Randy Carlyle commented on his plan to counteract these injuries in a post-game interview
“We’re going to have to probably move some [defensive] pairs around a little bit” Carlyle states “There will be some mix and match on the backend, more so than to say we’re going to put one guy in and he’s going to take Fowler’s spot.
What This Means for the Future
The Ducks have picked up the pace since their initial struggles early in the season. However, they have to fight for every point in these last few games to guarantee that coveted playoff spot. These injuries will create a large defensive gap that may stall the Ducks effort. Although already plagued with injuries throughout the season, the Ducks have managed to adapt well.
Players like Korbinian Holzer and Andy Welinski will be expected to step up during this time. While Reto Berra has been recalled from San Diego on an emergency basis, he will likely take over the back-up duties. Ryan Miller is expected to take over the starting goaltender role.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
