Linus Ullmark likely has a groin strain, and the Senators should know much more after a scan Thursday.
Early reads off the video suggest the range is wide. It could be as minor as day-to-day, or serious enough to cost him multiple weeks.
Nobody can pin it down from the footage alone. The scan will go a long way toward setting a timeline.
He went down after a routine save in Wednesday's 5-1 win over Florida, stayed on the ice and struggled to get back up.
Groin strains are like a slow leak in a tire. Drive on it too soon and you're stuck on the shoulder for a month.
Rushing him back would be a mistake. Ottawa needs him healthy in March far more than it needs him back for a game next week.
That's easier said when the goalie in question owns a .945 save percentage.
Samuel Ersson and a Thursday back-to-back test Ottawa's depth
Samuel Ersson is the obvious fill-in. He's at .829 and still chasing his first win in four appearances.
The schedule doesn't help. San Jose visits Thursday on the second night of a back-to-back, with the Rangers coming in Saturday.
Travis Green might also need help from the AHL for a backup, depending on what the scan shows.
The Senators are 7-3-0 after beating Florida, a win that came with plenty of emotion and one big scare.
Ridly Greig set the tone in that game, getting the better of Sam Bennett after a clean check.
Ullmark carries an $8,250,000 cap hit, and Ottawa doesn't have that kind of insurance behind him.
-
If the news is bad, the goalie market gets interesting. Connor Hellebuyck's suspension window in Winnipeg closes Friday.
He isn't a cheap or simple fix, but a multi-week absence would force every option onto the table.
Day-to-day or multiple weeks? That one line on the scan report could shape Ottawa's next month.
Should the Senators trade for a goalie if Linus Ullmark misses multiple weeks?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Jets narrow Connor Hellebuyck trade talks to the Hurricanes, reports Darren Dreger
