Wrenched Knees, Broken Bones, Cracked Heads: NHL Injury Parade Continues

As spring approaches, NHL fans feverishly pursue the latest trade rumors, looking for the deal that could make the difference in another tight race for the Stanley Cup. But this season is just as likely to turn on the more mundane business of who can stay healthy. In the past week, injuries have taken down a handful of NHL All Stars. Last night, the league's leading scorer joined them.

The captain of the Vancouver Canucks, Markus Naslund, did not return to the game after taking a shoulder to the face from Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche. Naslund is expected to miss one week with "concussion-like symptoms.''

The incident left Vancouver coach Marc Crawford spitting mad. It also revives the debate over whether the NHL should outlaw all blows to the head, regardless of whether they fit the current definition of a “clean hit.”

The Phoenix Coyotes also lost their best player yesterday, when Ladislav Nagy left the ice with a possible broken wrist. Nagy, fifth in the NHL with 25 goals, was another victim of a legal body check, delivered by Keith Tkachuk of the St. Louis Blues.

The injuries are hardly surprising, given current trends. The Philadelphia Flyers saw the bottom drop out last Thursday, when Keith Primeau suffered a concussion and Jeremy Roenick’s shattered jaw left him contemplating his future.

The leading candidate for the Norris Trophy, Rob Blake, discovered a hairline fracture in his leg during the All Star break.

The NHL’s top scoring defenseman, Sheldon Souray of the Montreal Canadiens, sprained a knee last Tuesday and is not expected back before the playoffs. Without him, there might not be any playoffs in Montreal.

In Detroit, they figured they were all set in goal last week when Dominik Hasek declared his season over because of a groin injury. Within 24 hours, Curtis Joseph sprained an ankle and has not played since.

They join a remarkably long list of significant players out with long-term or season-ending injuries. In New Jersey, Scott Stevens admits he might not play again this year. Hockey’s most famous concussion victim, Eric Lindros, has not surfaced for a couple of weeks. Andy Murray of the Los Angeles Kings should be coach of the year after building a playoff contender with Jason Allison, Martin Straka, Adam Deadmarsh, Aaron Miller and Zigmund Palffy all sidelined indefinitely.

Pavel Bure, Mario Lemieux, Alexander Mogilny, Alexei Yashin, Eric Daze, Mark Parrish, Mike York, Nathan Horton, Radek Bonk, Magnus Arvedson, Michael Nylander, Stephane Yelle and Justin Williams are among the forwards currently missing a big chunk of the season.

Blue lines have been ravaged, with the likes of Derian Hatcher, Ed Jovanovski, Eric Desjardins, Al MacInnis, Barrett Jackman, Jay Bouwmeester, Sandis Ozolinsh, Darius Kasparaitis, David Tanabe and Jay McKee unavailable.

The goalies appear safe for now. Chicago’s Jocelyn Thibault and Philadelphia’s Robert Esche are the only number-one goaltenders on the shelf, though Ed Belfour keeps shifting in and out of the lineup in Toronto.

To guage the impact of all the carnage, consider three of the teams currently listing "no significant injuries." The San Jose Sharks are the most surprising success story in the NHL. The Dallas Stars have made a remarkable recovery from a terrible start. The Tampa Bay Lightning, without a major injury all season, have joined the elite teams of the Eastern Conference.

Even the sexiest trade rumors cannot match the star power of the injury list. Given the circumstances, the most important deals made before this year’s NHL trade deadline will be the ones that help cover for the absence of hobbled stars.