Chara, Ryan and Carter Among the Walking Bruised
By Alexander Monaghan
Editor-in-chief
Several players were defined as bruised today, leading to a new way for the hockey world to pronounce day-to-day. A person bruised, by definition, means they injured the underlying soft tissue or bone of (part of the body) without breaking the skin. These afflictions are really nothing to worry about unless the injuries become nagging as the season carries on. Nevertheless, let’s dive into today’s (surprisingly) walking bruised.
- Bobby Ryan was held out of today’s practice due to a sore groin. The former 2nd overall pick and bonafide first round pick in fantasy hockey has yet to practice on the big line, leading to speculation coach Randy Carlyle may once again experiment with him as the third line center. Needless to say, the winger is healthy whether he plays at center or left wing. Back in April he suffered a knee injury which should be just fine at this point in the preseason. Certainly no past groin injuries to speak of. If healed correctly, which precautionary measures should cover, feel free to draft accordingly. Related: My Five Most Hated Fantasy Hockey Players
- Zdeno Chara left practice early following a blocked shot off the inside of the leg. If you thought a groin injury hurt, this may hurt just as much! Big Z is listed as day-to-day with a bruise and could skate as soon as tomorrow. Last season, Chara was day-to-day with illnesses and dehydration problems but definitely not down with a bum leg. We will continue to monitor the situation but in our expert opinions, he will be just fine.
- Jeff Carter bruised his foot during yesterday’s annual owner’s tournament while blocking a shot. If the story of Lee Sweatt is not enough to scare you (link here) then past surgery on both feet should. Carter has missed 10 games over the past two regular seasons but even more in the playoffs, which could peg him as injury prone. Wait until Carter gets back on the ice before drafting him, regardless if the Blue Jackets call it a bruise, not a break. What are they supposed to tell their fans? Certainly not the truth…
Training camp brings a plethora of injuries, so expect quite a few more. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow us on Twitter. If you are patient enough to wait for advice, then our heavily updates player updates section is your friend.