On Saturday night (Feb. 11), the Ottawa Senators lost another goalie when Anton Forsberg went down with an injury during a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. In one of the rarest injuries an athlete can sustain, he tore his medial collateral ligament (MCL) in both knees and will be out for an estimated two to three months. Curiously, MCL strains and tears are most common in football, basketball, and skiing and are assessed depending on the severity of the injury.
Related: 4 Takeaways From Senators’ 6-3 Loss To Oilers
Fans in attendance and those watching at home could see Forsberg was significantly uncomfortable. Additionally, in another rare moment, the trainers had to remove his goalie pads, signaling the severity of the situation. Unfortunately, the injury comes at the wrong time for the Senators, who are missing Cam Talbot, their other starter, who is currently nursing a groin injury.
According to various medical sites, the average time needed to rehab from an MCL tear, depending on the degree of the injury, is anywhere from a couple of weeks to six or more. Considering that Forsberg has two injuries, he will require eight to 12 weeks of recovery, which is above average based on previous cases that do not require surgery.
Examining the Next 6 Weeks in the Nation’s Capital
The Senators currently have a 25-24-3 record for 53 points, good enough for seventh place in the Atlantic Division. Now, they sit eight points behind the Washington Capitals (62 points) and Pittsburgh Penguins (61) for a wildcard playoff spot, meaning the team has a tough uphill battle to qualify for the postseason. Considering they are now without their two starting goalies and have to leapfrog five other teams to get above the cutoff line, it may be time to think about the future.
It appears that Forsberg will miss the remainder of the regular season, and having this knowledge should ease any pressure to rehab quickly. Even if the Senators qualify for the playoffs, he should be shut down for the rest of the campaign since he’s under contract until 2025 and should focus on next season. Realistically, there are six months before training camp opens in September, which is enough time to heal and build up strength for a return on opening night.
Furthermore, this latest injury does complicate the franchise’s current goaltender situation. However, they shouldn’t apply any extra pressure to the recovery. Additionally, according to NHL trade deadline rumors, a handful of teams across the league may be interested in Talbot to shore up their backend for a lengthy playoff run. Now that Forsberg has suffered a significant injury, the Senators will have a tough decision. Consequently, they need to figure out if Talbot is their man for a playoff push or if they flip him at the deadline and look toward the future.
Related: 3 Potential Landing Spots for Ottawa Senators’ Cam Talbot
Forsberg has not been as sharp this season, sporting an 11-11-2 record with a high 3.26 goals-against average (GAA) and .902 save percentage (SV%), highlighting the Senators’ struggles to make progress in the standings. Last year on a team that finished 33-42-7, the 30-year-old went 22-17-4 with a 2.82 GAA and .917 SV%, the best numbers of his eight-year NHL career.
For now, the Senators have recalled Mads Sogaard from the Belleville Senators, who has appeared in three NHL games in his career. Thus far, in 2022-23, the native of Aalborg, Denmark, is 6-9-2 with a 3.30 GAA and .898 SV% in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Significance of MCL Goalie Injuries in the NHL
As previously mentioned, MCL injuries are more common in other sports, but a long list of goalies have suffered the same pain that Forsberg has found himself in today. One of the most recent headline cases involving an NHL player with an MCL injury was Zach Hyman in April 2021, who sustained an MCL sprain after a knee-on-knee hit. Fortunately, he only missed a few weeks with a sprain to his surgically repaired right knee. Interestingly, he is back in the MCL conversation as the opponent who found himself on top of Forsberg at the time of his injury.
Moreover, several high-profile goalies like Martin Brodeur, Miikka Kiprusoff, and Cory Schneider have all suffered various MCL injuries and missed time for recovery. On average, most of these players were out of action for a month or more, with Brodeur missing two different stints in 2006 and 2011 with the same injury. Interestingly, two goalies, Mike Smith and Cam Ward struggled in their returns, posting losing records and alarming statistics.
Historically, Forsberg has only one winning season on his resume. Moreover, if there are any significant setbacks during his recovery or upon his return, he risks falling into the same pattern as many before him. Granted, none of the goalies in this discussion have torn both their MCLs, so Forsberg is in a category all by himself.
Forsberg Joins a Long List of NHL Goalies Currently Injured
There is never any argument when people discuss the physical and mental toll of being an NHL netminder. Although the guys behind the mask no longer play as many minutes as they did decades ago, the game is faster, forcing today’s elite guardians to be in top physical shape.
There are only 64 goalie openings in the NHL, with 23 percent currently on injured reserve for various ailments. Conversely, every team has a different policy regarding injury reporting, so technically only four are listed with knee injuries, while three others have lower body injuries. Ultimately, 11 goalies are dealing with injuries below the waist, highlighting the game’s impact on these players’ bodies.
Here is a breakdown of current goalies missing in action, thanks to updates provided by covers.com:
- Anaheim Ducks’ Anthony Stolarz (lower body)
- Buffalo Sabres’ Ben Bishop (knee)
- Chicago Blackhawks’ Alex Stalock (concussion)
- Montreal Canadiens Carey Price (knee)
- New Jersey Devils’ Jonathan Bernier (hip)
- Senators Talbot (lower body) and Forsberg (knee)
- Pittsburgh Penguins’ Tristian Jarry (upper body)
- San Jose Sharks’ Kaapo Kahkonen (head) and James Reimer (illness)
- Seattle Kraken Chris Driedger (knee)
- Toronto Maple Leafs’ Matt Murray (ankle)
- Vancouver Canucks’ Thatcher Demko (lower body)
- Vegas Golden Knights’ Logan Thompson (leg) and Robin Lehner (hip)
Hopefully, Forsberg will have a speedy recovery and can return to the ice sometime in the spring. However, considering the expected recovery length announced by the team on Monday (Feb. 13), he will miss the remainder of the regular season. Although he won’t face NHL competition for another six months, the time away may help him find his game again and prove to the Senators he was worth the investment after inking his most recent extension in 2022.
