The NHL offseason has been quiet for most teams around the league and while that usually is a good thing for clubs, the Anaheim Ducks suffered some bad news on Tuesday, losing defenseman Sheldon Souray to wrist surgery that could force him to miss the early part of the season.
According to ESPN.com, Souray will be out of action for at least six months after having surgery on his right wrist for a torn ligament and that could keep him on the bench recovering until December at the earliest. The 37-year-old had surgery on July 25 the Ducks announced on Tuesday and said that he was originally injured while working out this offseason last week.
Last season the Ducks won the division and the team has high expectations after signing Edmonton defenseman Mark Fistric and also possibly bringing in Teemu Selanne again. The team signed Fistric to a one-year deal worth $900,000 and now they will be without Souray. The team will hurt on the power play without him and he finished last season with solid stats of seven goals and 10 assists with a plus-19 rating and now his development could be stunted while having to remain off the ice.
Souray is not new to the injury game after playing 13 seasons in the league and it is not the first time his wrist has been injured, as he missed an entire season while playing for the Edmonton Oilers. Fistric is not as much of an offensive threat with just three goals in over 280 games and he finished last season with six assists in 25 games while playing with the Oilers.
