It’s impossible to avoid injuries. It is just the nature of the sport and the way hockey goes. We have seen numerous guys go down long-term with injuries. Aaron Ekblad, Josh Norris, Gabriel Landeskog, and Ondrej Palat, who recently went to the injured reserve, are all expected to miss time. A massive blow just occurred to the Anaheim Ducks, though, as defenceman Jamie Drysdale is out long-term with an injury.
INJURY NEWS: Jamie Drysdale suffered a torn labrum (left shoulder) during last Friday's game at Vegas and will be out of the lineup approximately 4-6 months.https://t.co/aZf05SMbkJ
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) October 31, 2022
Jamie Drysdale Out With Torn Labrum
The Anaheim Ducks have announced that Drysdale will be out for four to six months. During Friday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, he suffered a torn labrum and will undergo surgery. The 20-year-old defenceman has played in every game so far this season for the Ducks.
It’s a massive blow to not only the team but the young gun as well. The Ducks are rebuilding for the future, and a key component to that is out long-term. Anaheim is at the bottom in every statistical category and losing him does not help the matter.
His Early Career
After a subpar rookie campaign, Drysdale came into his own last year. Playing in 81 games, he finished with four goals, 28 assists, and 32 points. Along with Trevor Zegras, Drysdale is a cornerstone in the franchise’s rebuild. Drysdale has played in 113 games and has notched 40 points. So far this season, he was held pointless in eight games played. It is a shame because he is a promising player aiming to take the next step in his young career.
Next Man Up
With this Anaheim Ducks defenceman out, it is next man up time. It sure is a good thing the Anaheim Ducks signed John Klingberg this off-season. Unfortunately for the team, the back end has been as underwhelming as its production. Dmitry Kulikov leads the team with points (three) and Klingberg is right behind with two. With the youngster out of the lineup for the majority of the season, the team will rely on its veteran presence to anchor the back end.
