In today’s News & Notes, Mike Green is out for the remainder of the season with a virus, Robin Lehner is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury and the New Jersey Devils will be without Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt who are both dealing with injuries.
Related: NHL News & Notes: Johansson, Ferland & More
Green Out for Season
The Detroit Red Wings will have to play the remainder of their 2018-19 season without Green as the veteran defender is suffering from a virus. With the team almost certainly out of playoff contention, Green is being the remainder of the season and offseason to recover and be ready for the 2019-20 season.
“The doctor has suggested several weeks of complete rest to deal with it, so he’ll be out for the season,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “From what we understand, the complete rest should take care of it. This shouldn’t be something that keeps coming back.”
The 33-year-old defender has scored five goals and 26 points in 43 games this season and missed the first nine games of the season with the same illness, according to the Red Wings.
Lehner Day-to-Day
After leaving Tuesday’s game with an injury, Lehner is now being considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Head coach Barry Trotz would not confirm whether or not the injury was a concussion.
Lehner has been one of the best goaltenders in the NHL this season and his absence will loom large for the Islanders. The veteran netminder has compiled a 20-11-5 record with a 2.19 goals-against average and impressive .927 save percentage.
A day-to-day designation is the best case scenario for the Islanders as anything longer could have been disastrous for the team who currently sits in second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Despite their place in the standings, the Islanders have to be wary of the Washington Capitals who sit ahead of them, as well as the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets who are all vying for postseason contention.
Hischier and Bratt Injured
The Devils will be without Hischier and Bratt for the foreseeable future. While Hischier is only out for the next two games according to the team, Brett is considered week-to-week.
Hischier is out for two games with an upper-body injury but that’s minimal time, fortunately for the Devils. The second-year center has scored 17 goals and 44 points in 62 games this season and has somehow played at a higher level than he did in his impressive rookie campaign that saw him score 20 goals and 52 points in 82 games.
Unfortunately, the diagnosis wasn’t as good for Bratt who is week to week with an undisclosed injury. He left Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jackets after blocking a shot.
Bratt, another second-year forward, has scored eight goals and 33 points in 51 games this season and like Hischier, has exceeded the point-per-game pace he recorded in his rookie season a year ago when he’d score 13 goals and 35 points in 74 games.