The Anaheim Ducks announced that winger Ondrej Kase is sidelined indefinitely with a concussion on Tuesday.
INJURY UPDATES
Brian Gibbons sustained a bone bruise while blocking a shot in preseason, but he’s cleared to play.
Ondrej Kase suffered a concussion in the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Kings. There is no timetable for his return.
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) October 2, 2018
Ondrej Kase Injured
Kase was injured on September 29th in a game against the Los Angeles Kings. The Ducks final preseason game. The exact play that injured Kase wasn’t detailed by Anaheim, but a confrontation with Drew Doughty may have been the cause. Doughty appeared to take a run at Kase in the first period, knocking him down and then adding a couple of punches once Kase was on the ice.
https://twitter.com/Kingsgifs/status/1046231225503952896
Kase is entering his third season in the NHL. He has 25 goals and 28 assists for 53 points in 119 career games. He had 20 goals in 66 games last season. Kase has been a positive Corsi player for the Ducks. In his first two seasons with a career 52.8 Corsi For and a relative Corsi of 4.1 percent. Kase was originally drafted by the Ducks in the 7th round of the 2014 entry draft, 205th overall
Ducks Start the Season With Many Injuries
Kase is a top six player that’s the latest in a long line of injuries to the Ducks forward group. Corey Perry is already out for five months. Ryan Kesler may not see the ice this season, and Patrick Eaves hasn’t been cleared for contact yet. The Ducks also haven’t signed RFA Nick Ritchie.
The loss of Kase will be difficult for Anaheim to bear if it turns out to be long term. And with concussions, it’s difficult to anticipate when a safe return to the ice may happen. Look for the Ducks to use the early part of this season to find out how well their younger players are capable of playing at an NHL level. They may also decide to upgrade their forwards via trade if they find themselves falling too far behind teams like the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, or the Vegas Golden Knights.
