Off-Season Injury Notes (Aug 23)

Some injury concerns in Philadelphia these days, as Sean Couturier has suffered a knee injury in a charity game a couple of weeks ago and it is just now seeing some light in the news. It appears that it is an MCL injury, one that he had just rehabbed not long ago, only to return in a summer game and it is believed that it will keep him out until the middle of training camp.  The current projected date is around September 19th, only about 10 days before the hockey pool draft, so we'll know more about whether or not he'll be good to go or not, so stay tuned.

I have the 25-year old forward pegged for a big season, looking at around 75 points, if he can stay healthy for the whole year, while the Hockey News seems to have a little bit of a reservation on the coming season, pegging him in the 66-point range.  Of course, we'll get more updates, the closer we are to camp.

Columbus Blue Jackets top prospect Vitaly Abramov won't be joining his fellow teammates in the next few weeks at the Traverse City rookie tournament, as he had off-season wrist surgery and won't be ready to go just yet.  The 2016 3rd round pick has been amazing at the junior level, but still needs to find his way into cracking the NHL roster here soon.  His numbers in his QMJHL career have been staggering, finishing three seasons with 301 points in 185 games.  It only seems like a matter of time before he makes it and becomes a hockey pool favourite, but it might not be this year.