The NHL season has thus far been undermined by an unbelievable number of injuries to top players.
Injuries are a part of the game we have been told over and over again.
They are no excuse for losing. At least that's what teams say when they lose, all the while privately bemoaning the fact they don't stand a snowball's chance of winning with their best players sidelined.
In what was supposed to be a special season, given the fact this is an Olympic year and many of the best players on the planet will gather in Vancouver in February for a two-week tournament, the year has thus far been undermined by the unbelievable number of injuries that have crippled teams' lineups.
Star players and role players alike are dropping like flies. There was a fear that, because of the NHL's schedule is compressed to accommodate the Olympic Games, there would be more injuries than usual, but it's so early it's hard to imagine that has been a factor thus far. In fact, some teams have had as much as a week off between games.
For some teams, not having access to their stars is actually a carryover from last season. Marian Hossa signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks, but has yet to play because he is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. Phil Kessel, obtained by the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Boston Bruins, hasn't played yet because he also underwent shoulder surgery in the summer.
For others, though, injuries incurred in games are piling up.
The Bruins were expected to compete for the Eastern Conference championship having finished second overall to the San Jose Sharks last season. But as of Friday morning the B's ranked 10th in the East thanks in a large part to the loss of scoring ace Marc Savard, who is out with a broken left foot, and power forward Milan Lucic, who is out with a broken right index finger.
The Detroit Red Wings have been alarmingly bad thus far and some might be inclined to suggest it should be expected after so many years atop the league. That may be true, but how the heck are the Wings supposed to be at their competitive best when the likes of Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen and Val Filppula are sidelined with injuries? A left knee injury will keep Franzen out most of the year.
If you were to narrow it down to one single player in the NHL that his team could not afford to lose, that player might be Ilya Kovalchuk. The franchise is on thin ice in a non-hockey market and the team has made the playoff just once in nine seasons. With the Thrashers off to a great start, it was nothing short of a disaster when Kovalchuk, who has become more of a two-way threat, suffered a broken right foot. I know it's early, but losing Kovalchuk could have serious playoff implications for a team that desperately needs to make it to the post-season.
"I think in terms of style of play, when the new rules kicked in, there was a feeling that the smaller player was going to have an advantage," Boston GM Peter Chiarelli told sportsnet.ca. "But what I have observed over time is the swing has gone back to using bigger players. That may have something to do with it. I don't know if there are more injuries (this year) because I don't have the data to support that, but maybe it's a matter of there being more injuries to the high-profile players."
Nobody knew exactly what to expect from the Montreal Canadiens this season after GM Bob Gainey's off-season makeover of the team, but one thing was certain: the Habs could not afford to be without all-star defenceman Andrei Markov. But as we all know, that is exactly what happened. Markov broke his ankle in the first game of the season and the Canadiens are struggling to stay above .500 in his absence.
The injury list goes on and on and on. Chicago's Jonathan Toews, Florida's David Booth, Edmonton's Sheldon Souray and Steve Staios are among the many players sidelined with concussions. Daniel Sedin broke his foot. Roberto Luongo has a rib issue. Sergei Gonchar broke his wrist. A groin issue has sidelined Patrik Elias for the entire year thus far.
"I think the games tend to be more physical now," Chiarelli said. "Games seem to be trending that way as players get more used to the way the obstruction rules are called."
Hockey has never been played at a faster pace and because of parity, it seems like every game has playoff implications. Remember not so long ago when people complained the NHL season was too long and most of the games were meaningless? No so today.
NHL senior vice-president Colin Campbell, who played 11 seasons in the league as a rock 'em, sock 'em defenceman, acknowledges the vast number of injuries to star players, but said there is little the league can do about it.
"I think it would be unfair to say we have lots of injuries and the star players are the ones getting hurt so we need to do something about it," Campbell said. "The thing is, better players play more and have the puck more so it makes sense they might be the ones that get hurt more."
Maybe this is just an unusual year. Or maybe the NHL has to once and for all address the dangerous and overprotective equipment issue. And maybe the league has to crack down on headshots. They talk a tough game, but talk is cheap.
Injuries are indeed a part of the game. The question is, is everything possible being done to avoid them?