What sounds like a slight groin pull is what kept Johan Franzen out of both Saturday and Monday's contests for the Red Wings, but in no report that I have read this morning is the injury considered too serious. With only a few weeks to go in the regular season and the Red Wings already having more than enough points to clinch (without mathematically clinching) a playoff spot, it could be considered a good time to start resting up some of the bumps and bruises, pulls and strains on the team. Franzen will be considered day-to-day for the time being and is expected to miss Wednesday's game against the Canucks and will be touch and go after that.
If Franzen was to play the last nine games of the regular season for the Wings this year, there was a decent chance that he would eclipse his career-high mark in points and pool ranking, but since the Red Wings are not in a hard-fought battle for a playoff spot or the division title, it is in the team's best interest for the playoffs to make sure Franzen is 100%. In 2011, Franzen has scored 27 goals and 24 assists in 69 games for the Red Wings, which has him ranked in 79th in pool scoring after Monday night's action, only up two spots from his best ranking, which came in 2009 (81st), which came with 59 points. If Franzen can get back for the final eight games of the year, he could very well be in good shape for some of his own personal records.
This has not been a good stretch of time for Dale B. in the draft, as he has seen a number of his players fall onto the news page with injuries, including Simon Gagne, Marc Staal and Brendan Morrison, which has hurt his chances at jumping into the last money spot in the pool, to which he is only 16 points away from, going into Tuesday's action. I'm fully expecting to see Franzen ready for the playoffs, where he has received a pretty good promotion in his box positioning this year, moving up to Box 3. I have a feeling he'll be a popular player in that box this year.
Link to the Injury/News Page
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