The 2024-25 NHL season has kicked off with high hopes, but several key teams are grappling with significant injuries to crucial players. From seasoned veterans to up-and-coming stars, the injury list spans the league and affects the competitive landscape in profound ways. Here's an in-depth look at who's out and what their absences mean for their teams.
Central Division: Avalanche's Challenges Continue
The Colorado Avalanche are no strangers to the injury list. Gabriel Landeskog, who contributed significantly to the team’s 2022 Stanley Cup victory, remains on the sidelines. Landeskog underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, causing him to miss the entire 2022-23 season, and a recent cartilage transplant surgery will keep him out for 2023-24 as well. Artturi Lehkonen is also absent following shoulder surgery, adding further complications for the Avalanche as they navigate a fiercely competitive Central Division.
Pacific Division: Key Players Temporarily Shelved
Vancouver Canucks fans anxiously await the return of Thatcher Demko, who is recuperating from a knee injury sustained during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Nashville Predators. His recovery is expected to last three-to-four weeks, a timeline that extends into the new season. Meanwhile, Dakota Joshua, another Canucks player, bravely battles back from testicular cancer, aiming for a late October return. On a brighter note, the Anaheim Ducks’ John Gibson plans to be back in early November post-appendectomy, and Evander Kane of the Edmonton Oilers, with a more extended rehabilitation from hip and hernia surgeries, is set to make a return by February 2025. The Vegas Golden Knights and their fans are hopeful for William Karlsson’s imminent comeback, although the specifics of his undisclosed injury remain closely guarded.
Atlantic Division: Weathering Early Storms
In the Atlantic Division, the Florida Panthers are currently without their captain, Aleksander Barkov. Barkov’s absence comes after he sustained a lower-body injury while valiantly defending an empty-net goal against the Ottawa Senators. Head coach Paul Maurice provided a hopeful outlook, stating, “Barkov would be sidelined two to three weeks, with a chance to return to the ice by the team's early November NHL Global Series match in Finland if not sooner.” Meanwhile, in Toronto, Calle Jarnkrok is projected to overcome a lower-body injury by late October, which will bolster the Maple Leafs’ lineup as they jostle for early-season supremacy.
Metropolitan Division: Devils in Waiting
The New Jersey Devils are also contending with injury woes. Luke Hughes faces a shoulder injury that projects to have him back by early November, while Brett Pesce is on the mend from a fractured fibula, a setback expected to heal by the end of October 2024. These injuries might deter the Devils' momentum but simultaneously open doors for emerging talent within their ranks.
A Glance at Long-Term Rebounds
Looking towards the long-term recuperation list, the St. Louis Blues face the remainder of the 2025-26 season without Torey Krug, who is sidelined with a severe ankle injury. The anticipated return of players like Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings, who is rehabbing an ankle surgery with no clear timeline, is equally crucial for team morale and performance. Moreover, Nick Bjugstad of the Utah Hockey Club, dealing with an upper-body injury, and his teammate John Marino, targeting a mid-October return, are keen to get back and contribute to their team’s efforts this season.
The early parts of the season are undeniably challenging for teams enduring these injuries, but they also present opportunities for other players to step up and demonstrate their capabilities. The dynamics of these returns and recoveries will keep fans and analysts alike on their toes as the season progresses.
As the NHL season wears on and players work toward their return to the ice, the ripple effects of these injuries will continue to reverberate throughout the league, affecting standings and strategies as teams strive for playoff positions. In the coming weeks, all eyes will be on the ice—and the sidelines—as these players inch closer to rejoining their squads, gladiators in a sport that never ceases to challenge its warriors.