Checking in on some notable injury situations around the NHL on Monday...
• Blue Jackets’ Merzlikins out “week to week”
Tough news for the Columbus Blue Jackets over the weekend as goalie Elvis Merzlikins suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday night and is expected to be out on a week-to-week basis.
In nine games this season he has a .917 save percentage for Columbus and has been the team’s most productive goalie.
Joonas Korpisalo figures to get the bulk of the playing time in Merzlikins’ absence, but he has struggled this season after earning an All-Star nod a year ago. The Blue Jackets are already playing without Zach Werenski, Gustav Nyquist and David Savard due to injury.
• Maple Leafs’ Muzzin has broken bone in face
Toronto defenseman Jake Muzzin suffered a broken bone in his face over the weekend when he was struck in the face by a stray stick against the Montreal Canadiens. The Maple Leafs are not sure at this moment how long he will be sidelined, but he will be wearing a face shield when is able to return to the lineup.
Along with Muzzin, the Maple Leafs are also dealing with injuries to Wayne Simmonds, Zach Hyman, and Rasmus Sandin.
Muzzin is one of their top defensemen, averaging close to 22 minutes per game and having already tallied 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in his first 19 games this season.
• Karlsson sidelined for Sharks
San Jose Sharks coach Bob Boughner announced on Monday that defenseman Erik Karlsson will not return to the lineup on Monday against the Minnesota Wild due to a lower-body injury that is going to keep him out through at least Saturday.
That comes after he did not play in Saturday’s 5-4 win against the St. Louis blues.
With this upcoming Saturday being the earliest possible day that Karlsson could return the Sharks are calling him “week to week” at the moment.
It has been a tough year for the veteran defenseman as he has only four points (all assists) in 13 games this season. Injuries have been a problem for Karlsson in recent seasons, and when combined with his age and remaining contract it has to be a concerning long-term development for the Sharks.
• Slater Koekkoek’s collarbone injury
If gruesome x-rays are your thing, you can click here to check out the broken collarbone for Edmonton Oilers defenseman Slater Koekkoek. It is something. It is also going to keep him out of the lineup for several months.
—
Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.