Preds Johansen out for Season

Photo by Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports

During the second period of the Predators 5-4 OT win against the Canucks on Tuesday, the skate of Canucks’ Quinn Hughes cut the back of Preds center Ryan Johansen’s leg causing him to leave the game. He underwent surgery the following day and will be sidelined for 12 weeks, meaning his regular season is over.

Johansen is a major contributor for the Preds, he is fifth on the team in goals at 12 and sixth on the team in assists at 16. This comes out to 28 points on the season, which is good for fifth on the team. Johansen leads the team in faceoff wins with 502 on the season, 141 more than the next highest Predator. He has the 18th most faceoff wins in the NHL this season. His 59% success rate on faceoffs also leads the team this season.

In his absence, the Predators have recalled Kiefer Sherwood from their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. Sherwood scored the first goal of the NHL season this year during the Global Series game in Prague, but played just five games for the Preds before being sent down earlier this season. Sherwood has certainly earned the call up, scoring seven goals and tallying five assists for a total of 12 points in his last 10 games for Milwaukee.

As things stand, the Preds are currently seven points out of a playoff spot, trailing both the Avalanche and the Wild for the final spot in the Central and the final wild card spot in the west. This injury certainly lowers the Preds ever so small odds of making the playoffs and should help the front office decide to be sellers at the deadline.