The Arizona Coyotes have once again been struck by the injury gods, with Derek Stepan now out for between four to six weeks.
Derek Stepan will now be out for the Arizona Coyotes line-up during their crucial playoff push, having suffered a lower-body injury against the Vancouver Canucks.
During the game against the Canucks, Stepan was hit into the boards and when he put weight on his left knee, he crumbled to the floor in agony.
Fans, players and coaches will have immediately thought about the team’s well-documented bad luck with injuries, with a long list of players still currently sidelined, along with the many players that have missed time throughout the campaign.
INJURY UPDATE:
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 1, 2019
Rick Tocchet announced today that center Derek Stepan will be out of the lineup for 4-6 weeks with a lower-body injury.
Prior to suffering his injury, Stepan was playing comfortably as the Coyotes’ top line centre – playing the highest average amount of ice time this season with 19:17, over 45 seconds more than Clayton Keller.
Stepan had 13 goals and 32 total points in 64 regular season games he has played this season, with some solid possession numbers.
While starting in the offensive zone only 48.4% of the time, Stepan has managed to keep driving play and has a Corsi rating of 50.4%.
With yet another centre being out of the line-up, Rick Tocchet will have some work to do with re-jigging his lines, with Alex Galchenyuk still a prime candidate to move back inside to his preferred position.
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With Stepan out of the line-up for at least a month, the Arizona Coyotes subsequently called up Hudson Fasching – who has 12 goals and 25 total points in 48 AHL regular season games with the Tucson Roadrunners.
The 23-year-old winger has some NHL experience, having played 22 regular season games while a member of the Buffalo Sabres between 2015 and 2018.
He has just one goal and two assists to his name in the NHL and will more than likely slot in as a fourth liner, or even just an extra forward while Stepan is sidelined.
The Arizona Coyotes are still within reach of the playoffs, but the loss of Stepan is a big one and the rest of the team’s roster will need to keep stepping up, as they have done all season, if they hope to keep pace with the teams around them.
What do you think Coyotes fans? How disappointing is this news? Who will fill in as the team’s first line centre until Stepan returns? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!