Josh Norris is headed back to the sidelines, with Ottawa Senators coach Travis Green announcing Monday that the center will miss “a few weeks” with a mid-body injury.
The setback came during Saturday’s 6-0 win over the Wild, just as Norris was hitting his stride.
He’d been on fire lately, racking up four points in three games since returning from a brief injury earlier this month. That included an impressive three-point night against the Capitals last Thursday.
It’s a tough break for the 25-year-old, who’s been fighting to stay healthy after shoulder problems derailed much of his last three seasons. Before this, he’d only missed a handful of games all year – a huge improvement from playing just 124 out of 246 possible games in recent years.
There’s some good news though. Thanks to the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, Norris might not miss as many games as you’d think.
He’ll likely sit out the next four games, but could be back for either the February 22 matchup with Montreal or the February 26 game against Winnipeg.
Norris has been solid as Ottawa’s second-line center this season, usually playing alongside Drake Batherson and David Perron. His 19 goals put him just one behind team leader Brady Tkachuk, and he’s sixth on the team with 31 points.
The numbers tell the story of his importance: 18:24 average ice time, 54% success rate on faceoffs, and he’s been a warrior with 43 blocks and 126 hits.
While he hasn’t quite matched his breakout 35-goal season that earned him an eight-year, $63.6M contract, just staying healthy and playing well has been huge for someone whose career was nearly derailed by injuries.
The timing isn’t great for Ottawa. They’re trying to hold onto third place in the Atlantic Division, sitting just one point ahead of Detroit and two points up on Boston and Tampa Bay.
For now, the Sens are shifting Ridly Greig to center between Batherson and Perron, with Cole Reinhardt getting called up from their AHL team in Belleville to fill the roster spot.
If Ottawa needs the roster flexibility, they could put Norris on injured reserve – though a long-term IR placement seems unlikely given the schedule break ahead.
