The injury bug has run rampant in Dallas this season, and now another top-six forward has been claimed. According to head coach Lindy Ruff, Jason Spezza is set to miss significant time due to an injury sustained last night. Spezza was the recipient of a big open-ice hit from the Winnipeg Jets’ Adam Lowry in the contest. Spezza took the shot in the right shoulder and then twisted, landing hard on his left hip and elbow. Likely trying to avoid frightening fans with yet another nightmare diagnosis, the Stars have not identified what Spezza’s injury is, nor what the timeline for his return might be. Ruff indicated that it would be “probably more than days”, but that seems likely to be an understatement.
Spezza has already missed some time due to injury earlier this season, when he was out for a few games with a lower-body issue. Stars beat writer Mark Stepenski doesn’t think that will have an effect though, as he reports that it is an upper-body injury this time around. However, he also states that Ruff believes the injury could keep Spezza out for a week or two or even longer, the uncertainty of which should remind fans of Spezza’s long history with back problems. While Spezza could have just as easily have injured his right shoulder or left elbow on the fall, the twisting motion with which he took the check and hit the ice could have re-aggravated his long-time back condition. The scoring center has dealt with lingering issues throughout his career, which came to head in 2012-13 when he played in only 5 games with the Ottawa Senators, missing the rest of the season due to back surgery.
Spezza’s absence from the Dallas lineup will substantially hinder their attempts to get back into the playoff picture. The team has already been without Mattias Janmark for the entire season and will not get him back this year. Similarly, Ales Hemsky has missed all but one game in 2016-17 as well and there is little hope of a return. The Stars are also without defensemen Johnny Oduya, who missed ten games earlier in the year as well as the past six, and Jamie Oleksiak, who has now missed ten straight. Overall, Dallas has had disproportionate injury struggles this season, having lost the fourth-most man-minutes to injury halfway through the season, and are only adding to that total in the second half. Luckily, Patrick Sharp, Jiri Hudler, and Cody Eakin, all of whom have missed significant time this season, are back and healthy and will be able to help pick up the slack if Spezza does end being out for an extended period. However, it just doesn’t seem like this is the Stars’ year, as they faced an uphill battle to make the playoffs even with Spezza, as they sit three points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference, with the Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, and Vancouver Canucks all blocking their path to the postseason. That task now seems daunting with arguably their third-best player out of the lineup and no timeline for his return.