To the say the Ottawa Senators are banged up is putting it lightly.
Over the weekend, the club lost four key contributors up front: Mike Hoffman, Bobby Ryan, Mark Stone, and Tommy Wingels. Ryan's out indefinitely after a hand injury Saturday, Stone's injury appears serious after he took a head shot Sunday, Hoffman's injury is of the lower-body variety, and Wingels' injury hasn't been disclosed.
No updates on the wounded were offered Monday, but Ottawa did announce the call-ups of two players from minors: Casey Bailey and Max McCormick. Both have played five games with the big club in 2016-17, with neither registering a point while combining for nine shots on goal. Saviors? Hardly. But they're the best Ottawa's got at the moment.
Here are the pair's AHL stats this season:
| Player | Age | GP | G | A | P | SOG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCormick | 24 | 46 | 16 | 10 | 26 | 117 |
| Bailey | 25 | 44 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 132 |
Bailey and McCormick lead the Binghamton Senators in shots on goal. Only right winger Jason Akeson (nine goals and 31 points in 34 games) and center Phil Varone (13 goals and 36 points in 46 games) have more points.
The Sens can score, but after losing two of their top-four point-producers in Stone and Hoffman, someone's going to have to step up. After a 58-point season last year, Derick Brassard's on pace for only 46 in 2016-17, so if he got going, that'd be ideal. While Ryan's injury is unfortunate, he's had an extremely underwhelming season, with only 12 goals and 12 assists in 50 games.
Thing is, if head coach Guy Boucher wants offense out of Bailey and McCormick, he's going to have to give one or both more of a chance to generate it. The duo must use the injuries as an opportunity.
Here's how much ice Bailey and McCormick have seen this season in the NHL.
Bailey
| Game # | Date | TOI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12/17/16 | 8:36 |
| 2 | 12/18/16 | 10:23 |
| 3 | 12/29/16 | 7:11 |
| 4 | 1/1/17 | 4:41 |
| 5 | 1/24/17 | 5:16 |
McCormick
| Game # | Date | TOI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11/3/16 | 5:04 |
| 2 | 11/17/16 | 9:56 |
| 3 | 11/19/16 | 9:34 |
| 4 | 11/22/16 | 5:08 |
| 5 | 12/1/16 | 5:35 |
Fourth-line minutes, basically, so it's no surprise both players are still searching for their first points of the season.
Depending on what the injury update is in Ottawa, it'll be interesting to see how much rope Bailey and McCormick are afforded when the Senators face the Devils in New Jersey on Tuesday. It's the start of a four-game road trip, with subsequent stops in Raleigh, Sunrise, and Tampa Bay to wrap up the February schedule.
Perfect timing. The trade deadline's March 1.
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