Sunday marks the beginning of the 2014-15 preseason schedule with seven teams participating in five games. Many of the league’s other teams will participate in scrimmages throughout the day.
However, just three days after camps began, injuries are piling up.
(Note: This post will be updated a few times on Sunday.)
Here is a list of players, who are currently sidelined:
- Rangers forward Derek Stepan missed Sunday’s scrimmage as he continues to recover from a foot injury after blocking a shot during the team’s informal skates last week.
- Leafs forwards David Clarkson and Tyler Bozak remain out with lower body injuries, but skated on their own Sunday.
- At Montreal Canadiens camp Lars Eller had a “therapy day” Sunday.
- Hurricanes captain Eric Staal will be held out of Sunday’s preseason action as a precaution. Staal underwent offseason surgery for a core muscle injury.
- Lightning prospect Jonathan Drouin remains out with an upper body injury.
- Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos had a “planned day off” Sunday and did not practice or scrimmage.
- Penguins captain Sidney Crosby continues to sit out with an undisclosed injury.
- Boston Bruins forwards Milan Lucic (wrist) and Gregory Campbell are still waiting to be cleared for game action.
- Bruins’ first-round pick David Pastrnak suffered a shoulder injury Saturday.
- Blackhawks forward Teuvo Teravainen was drilled with an open-ice hit by defenseman Cam Barker during Saturday’s scrimmage and sat out Sunday with an upper body injury.
- The Flyers are juggling lines as captain Claude Giroux remains out with a lower body injury.
- New Jersey Devils’ Jon Merrill is day-to-day after receiving a hit to the head Saturday.
- Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson continues to skate on his own after suffering a broken leg in the summer.
- Columbus forward Nathan Horton (back) is out indefinitely.
- Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray (knee) will not play in either of Sunday’s preseason games.
- Arizona Coyotes goalie Mark Visentin suffered a lower-body injury and was helped off the ice during a Sunday scrimmage. Yan Pavel Laplante is struggling with shoulder problems while Laurent Dauphin twisted his ankle. Read about first-rounder Brendan Perlini’s broken right hand here.
- Vancouver hasn’t provided an update regarding the condition of defenseman Ryan Stanton, who left a scrimmage after a Darren Archibald hit.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets held Boone Jenner out of a portion of Sunday’s action for precautionary reasons. “Soreness” seems to be the key word.
Many of the injuries are day-to-day situations or precautionary. Should today be Day 1 of the regular season most of the aforementioned players would likely be taking part in game action. That said, these injuries could linger and become nagging situations as the season continues. Now you know where they originated.