The Arizona Coyotes may have already lost a forward for the start of next season. On Saturday, it was announced that Tobias Rieder will have to undergo surgery for an ankle injury. The injury was sustained while Rieder was playing for Germany in the IIHF World Championship. Rieder is expected to miss upwards of 12 weeks recovering from the surgery, which could put mean he will miss the beginning of next season.
Tobias Rieder to Undergo Ankle Surgery
Rieder played in three games for Germany during this year’s World Championship, scoring just a single goal. It was his fourth time in the tournament. He’s played in 21 career World Championship games and put up seven points.
Rieder played in 80 games this season. He scored 34 points, three short of his career high. He did set a career high in ice time though, with just over 17 minutes per night. Many say that Rieder, who has had a complicated career so far, showed glimpses of further success this year. He was challenged more, earning second and third line minutes throughout the year. While he didn’t have as successful of a season as some would’ve hoped for, Rieder did show off his ability to be consistent. In his two prior NHL seasons, he’s had 21 and 37 points respectively.
Rieder is running out of time to prove he has what it takes to stay in the NHL. He’s been a consistent bottom six forward the past two seasons, but needs to start producing more to keep his spot. Players like Clayton Keller, Dylan Strome, and Christian Dvorak are all coming up through the Coyotes system and the competition for ice time will be fierce.
With one season left on his contract, rumors are also swirling that Rieder could be exposed in the expansion draft. He would be a good option for the Vegas Golden Knights to add relatively young depth.
Main Photo:
SAN JOSE, CA – MARCH 20: Tobias Rieder #8 of the Arizona Coyotes skates against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on March 20, 2016 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images)
