The Ottawa Senators announced that centre Zack Smith is sidelined indefinitely with a facial fracture.

Zack Smith suffered a broken bone in his face after being hit by skate. It’s “serious” according to Boucher and Smith will be flying home

— Ken Warren🇨🇦 (@Citizenkwarren) October 27, 2018

Zack Smith Injured

Smith was injured when he fell on the back of Matt Calvert‘s skate on Friday night against the Colorada Avalanche. Head coach Guy Boucher commented that it was a serious injury and that Smith was flying home to Ottawa.

So far this season, Smith has scored two goals and three assists for five points. He also added nine minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 46.1 percent Corsi-for and a relative Corsi of +4.9.

Smith has spent his entire 11-year NHL career with the Senators. He has put up 87 goals and 83 assists for 170 career points in 551 career NHL games. He was originally drafted in the third round, 79th overall of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by Ottawa.

What This Means for the Future

Despite having a Corsi For of 46.1, Smith is fifth on the team in relative Corsi For.  The Senators are already missing Jean-Gabriel Pageau for the bulk of the season. With depth at centre already weak, losing their third line centre will be difficult for the team.

Smith is also a player favourite, which was revealed when the Senators bizarrely waived the player only to see him return with an A on his jersey. Presumably, the move was intended to save money, but the players responded negatively to that.

Pierre Dorion later claimed the move was intended to send a message to the rest of the team.

“Zack is a high-character person, he’s the heart and soul of that dressing room, but at the same time it was performance related. We knew that if we let the team know we won’t accept what happened last year, including how Zack played, that, hopefully, the message will be passed through the room.” – Dorion

If Smith is out for a prolonged time, the Senators dressing room may be what suffers the most.

Main Photo: OTTAWA, ON – FEBRUARY 08: Ottawa Senators Left Wing Zack Smith (15) celebrates a goal during first period National Hockey League action between the Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators on February 8, 2018, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)