Arizona Coyotes GM Don Maloney announced that the team will be without Mikkel Boedker for the next four to six weeks. The Coyotes winger, who leads the team in goals, had surgery to remove his spleen following Sunday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Arizona Coyotes GM Don Maloney announced today the team would be without Mikkel Boedker for the next four to six weeks after the Danish winger had surgery to remove his spleen following Sunday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.
There’s uncertainty about when Boedker sustained the injury, as following the game the only information available was that he would be sidelined by an upper body injury. It appears, however, the injury was a bit more serious than expected.
Much of the thanks for catching and properly treating the injury, according to Fox Sports Arizona’s Todd Walsh, goes to Arizona’s medical staff. The staff didn’t allow Boedker, who has 14 goals and 28 points this season, to travel with the team to Chicago, and he’s currently resting in Winnipeg. According to the Arizona Republic’s Sarah McLellan, Maloney said Boedker will likely be able to return Arizona in the next couple of days.
Arizona has been one of the most offensively stunted teams in the NHL, scoring only 104 goals in 45 games this season, so being without their leading goal-scorer will definitely make matters much more difficult in the desert. Throughout the season, the Coyotes have relied on bringing up various players from the AHL’s Portland Pirates to assist them when injuries strike, and viable options if the Coyotes look to call up another forward include Alexandre Bolduc, Brendan Shinnimin, and Justin Hodgman.
Boedker has been one of the lone bright spots this season for a Coyotes team that has struggled to get anything going. With Mike Smith having his worst season in a Coyotes uniform, Shane Doan’s career winding down, and the consistent trade rumors, the play of the talented young winger was promising for the club. Before the injury Boedker was on pace for the best statistical season of his career, and hopefully when he returns his play will remain at the level it was before the injury.