Predators place Wiesblatt, Barron on injured reserve
The Nashville Predators placed two 2020 first-round draft picks on injured reserve Friday.
The team announced that forward Ozzy Wiesblatt has been moved to IR with an upper-body injury, and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks. Meanwhile, defenseman Justin Barron has also gone to IR with an upper-body injury, though his timeline to return is week-to-week.
#Preds Injury Update: We’ve placed forward Ozzy Wiesblatt (upper body, 8-10 weeks) and defenseman Justin Barron (upper body, week-to-week) on IR.
It’s not known exactly when Wiesblatt suffered his injury, but he left Thursday’s 2-1 overtime win against the Florida Panthers in the first period after losing his balance and getting accidentally kneed in the left arm by teammate Michael McCarron.
Ozzy Wiesblatt is not on the bench after getting clipped by Carter Verhaeghe & then Michael McCarron.
Wiesblatt, 23, who was drafted 31st overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2020 and then acquired by the Predators in exchange for forward Egor Afanasyev, has a goal and three assists for four points in 24 games played this season, while averaging just over 10 and a half minutes of ice time. Last season, the Calgary native put up just an assist in five games for Nashville, but registered 15 goals and 24 assists for 40 points in 64 games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.
Barron, 24, has already missed the Predators’ last seven games with his upper-body injury. The Halifax native has four assists in 19 games this season, and is averaging just over 15 minutes of ice time. Selected 25th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2020, Barron was traded to the Montreal Canadiens midway through the 2021-22 season as a part of a package sent for forward Artturi Lehkonen. In December of last season, he was traded from Montreal to Nashville in exchange for fellow defenseman Alexandre Carrier.
The Predators will finish up a mini two-game road trip against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, and then return to Nashville for a two-game homestand starting with the Avalanche on Tuesday.