NHL Star Injuries Piling Up This Preseason – The Hockey Writers –

It’s every organization’s and fan’s worst nightmare: to see one of their marquee players or promising youngsters get hurt in a game that doesn’t matter in the standings.

However, it’s a nightmare that’s become reality for a number of clubs this preseason, as stars and top prospects alike seem to be dropping like flies as they try to gear up for the 2024-25 regular season.

Doughty, Laine Among Notable Players Out Long Term; Many More Injured

2024 first-overall pick and San Jose Sharks rebuild cornerstone Macklin Celebrini and New York Rangers superstar Artemi Panarin are two of the latest to make exits due to injury.

Against Utah Hockey Club on Oct. 1, Celebrini was tripped by Kevin Stenlund on a breakaway attempt and crashed into the end boards. He played one more shift but then left the game with a lower-body injury. Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky didn’t provide an update after the game.

Against the New Jersey Devils on the same night, Panarin, who had 120 points last season, suffered a lower body injury just four shifts into the game and was forced to leave. Like Warsofsky, Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette didn’t have any news to share on the severity. The clubs are in much different positions — the Sharks finished dead last in the NHL last season while the Rangers are a Stanley Cup contender — but both will hope the injuries are minor.

Three players who did not escape with minor injuries are Drew Doughty, Patrik Laine, and David Reinbacher. Doughty, the long-time Los Angeles Kings defenseman and a Norris Trophy winner, broke his ankle in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sept. 25 and had to have surgery. The veteran is expected to miss most of the season and his absence leaves a big hole on the Kings’ blue line.

Laine, the pure sniper who was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Montreal Canadiens this summer and was looking forward to a fresh start with his third NHL club, took a knee-on-knee hit from the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Cedric Pare on Sept. 28 and sustained a knee sprain as a result. He won’t need surgery, but will be out for at least two to three months nonetheless. It’s a tough situation for the Finn, who was selected second overall in 2016 by the Winnipeg Jets but struggled with injuries over the past two seasons and spent the majority of the 2023-24 season in the NHL Player Assistance Program.