The Tampa Bay Lightning received more bad injury news on Tuesday, as GM Steve Yzerman estimates Ryan Malone will miss three-to-four weeks with a fractured (non-displaced) ankle, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Malone, 34, suffered the injury when he was hit by a puck in a Nov. 22 game against the Anaheim Ducks.
It’s been that kind of month (or so) for the Lightning, as Malone joins Steve Stamkos (out months) and Radko Gudas (day-to-day) as the most noteworthy injured players (unless you count virtually retired defenseman Mattias Ohlund, too).
Malone isn’t the most reliable scorer - just two points in his last 11 games - but he combines at least the possibility of offensive contributions with a lot of grit in a large frame.
The Lightning have been scratching and clawing with Stamkos & Co. injured. They’ll have to keep doing that with a depleted roster for quite some time.
(H/T to Rotoworld.)