Odd development out of Boston tonight as Tampa Bay defenseman Sami Salo -- who took part in the morning skate and hasn’t missed any practices recently -- was pulled from the lineup in favor of Mark Barberio.
Salo, 39, reportedly suffered some sort of upper-body injury.
While it’s unclear exactly what caused the injury, how it happened or what the severity is, news of Salo getting hurt won’t come as much of a surprise. Despite a surprisingly healthy 2013 campaign that saw him play in 46 of 48 games, the veteran Finn has had horrible luck with injuries over the course of his career.
In 2011, a Globe and Mail article on Salo suggested he’d suffered around 40 injuries throughout his career, including a torn Achilles that cost him 52 games during the 2010-11 campaign.
Salo is in the second season of a two-year, $7.5 million deal signed with the Lightning in 2012. He scored 17 points last season and averaged nearly 21 minutes per night.