In a new report from John Vogl of the Buffalo News, Johan Larsson admits that his season is over. The Buffalo forward dislocated his elbow and wrist on Saturday and had originally just been reported as out for a few weeks. He underwent surgery while in a Boston hospital, and will miss the remainder of the regular season.
The 24-year old Larsson has been a solid contributor for the Sabres the past couple of years, adding some secondary scoring and a strong defensive game. Playing over 16 minutes a night this season, he ranks second among Buffalo forwards in blocked shots and has taken the second most faceoffs on the team.
Larsson was picked in the second round by the Minnesota Wild in 2010 before being included in the trade that brought Jason Pominville west. Pominville would go on to post a 30-goal season for the Wild the following season, while the other player involved in the deal Matt Hackett struggles in the Anaheim minor league system.
Developing Larsson into a solid NHL player is key to scraping any value out of that trade, and it looked like he was well on his way with six goals and eleven points in 36 games this year. That’s only slightly behind Pominville, who only has 14 points this season and has seen his ice-time drastically reduced. There will be no more development this season though, as he’ll rehab his arm and get ready for next season.