Injury Notes: Dumba, Hyman, DeMelo

It’s not good news leaking out of Minnesota, as Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) reported last night that Mathew Dumba could be out “anywhere from weeks to months” with a “significant” injury. Russo even goes so far as to suggest that Dumba’s season could be at risk if he needs surgery, a determination that has not been made yet (Update: Dumba will indeed have surgery to correct the upper-body injury and will be out long-term)

Dumba, 24, has been on fire through the first two months of the season, recording 12 goals and 22 points through 32 games. That outstanding start comes on the heels of a career-high 50-point campaign in 2017-18, one that put Dumba on the map as an all-around offensive force from the blue line. Armed with a lethal point shot from the day he entered the league, the seventh-overall pick from 2012 has improved his breakouts and creativity through the neutral zone. Losing him would leave a big hole on the right side for the Wild, who are fighting to stay relevant in the Central Division playoff race.

• Missed in the Toronto Maple Leafs annihilation of the Florida Panthers last night was the loss of Zach Hyman, ruled out before the game due to an ankle injury suffered earlier this week. The team quietly revealed that Hyman will be out for at least three weeks, leaving the Maple Leafs searching for another forward to fill his spot next to John Tavares and Mitch Marner. Andreas Johnsson was that lucky forward last night, but it’s not clear if the role will be his for the entire three weeks.
• It won’t be just Matt Duchene that returns for the Ottawa Senators tonight, as Dylan DeMelo has also been activated off injured reserve and will be in the lineup when the team takes on the New Jersey Devils. DeMelo hasn’t played since December 8th, and was just starting to really come into his own for the Senators. After averaging just over 18 minutes a night through his first 20 games for the team, DeMelo had recently seen that number jump to almost 21 and a half per game while holding down added responsibilities. The 25-year old was part of the package received for Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks, and could potentially be a trade deadline target given his extremely inexpensive contract. DeMelo carries just a $900K cap hit through next season.