We’ve seen the last of Anton Forsberg this season.
Senators’ general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters Sunday morning at the Canadian Tire Centre that Forsberg suffered MCL tears in both knees during the club’s 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers Saturday afternoon at the Canadian Tire Centre.
He was schedule to undergo a further examination Sunday afternoon but Dorion added “(Forsberg) is likely out for the season.” He was taken off the ice on a stretcher after Edmonton’s Zach Hyman landed on Forsberg following a check from defenceman Travis Hamonic with five minutes left in the third.
No surgery is required and the Senators are trying to find out what grade the tears are to determine a complete timetable. Right now, Forsberg is listed as being out indefinitely.
“It’s really unfortunate for (Forsberg) with the extent and the length,” coach D.J. Smith said Sunday. “He played some really solid hockey here in January and got himself back to form. Rarely, do you see an injury like that with both knees. It’s unfortunate for him.”
The shock of Forsberg, who has knee braces on both his legs, being taken off on a stretcher with his wife and children in the stands wasn’t easy for anyone.
“He was screaming in pain and it was tough to watch,” Smith said. “I saw him in warmup and he was high-fiving with his kids and his wife. I haven’t had the chance to sit down and talk with him, but (for his family) to sit down and watch that, it’s terrible. His kids are just little and enough to know that Dad is in there and Dad’s hurt. That’s the human side of it.
To make matters worse, rookie defenceman Jake Sanderson is out two weeks with an undisclosed upper body injury he suffered after taking a hit from Edmonton’s Vincent Desharnais in the third period of the club’s 6-3 loss to the Oilers Saturday afternoon at home.
His spot will likely be taken by veteran Nikita Zaitsev against the Flames.
The Senators were preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best where Forsberg was concerned. The club recalled Kevin Mandolese from its AHL affiliate in Belleville Sunday morning to dress as the backup to Mads Sogaard, who will make the start Monday against the Flames.,
That’s a huge blow with Cam Talbot already sidelined with what’s believed to be a groin injury he suffered Jan. 25 against the New York Islanders. Initially, the organization thought he may be done for the season, but the timeline was pegged at three-to-four weeks.
The hope is that Talbot will resume skating with the Senators later this week and will be able to play sometime in the next couple of weeks. Talbot wants to get back and the hope is he could return next week against or St. Louis Sunday or Boston Monday on the road..
The club acquired the 35-year-old Talbot from the Minnesota Wild because they wanted him to help push for a spot in the post-season. He went down with a rib injury in the club’s first exhibition game in training camp and missed the first month of the year.
That ailment meant it took a while for Talbot to get up to speed with his new team and the competition the club was hoping he would have with Forsberg never materialized. Both have been plagued by bouts of inconsistency.
You have to wonder what Forsberg’s injury will mean for Dorion’s approach at the deadline. Nobody has called to express interest in Talbot, but there may be a team or two looking for depth before March 3rd at 3 p.m. EST if he gets healthy.
The best bet might be to see if Talbot can carry the ball himself or to make a soft deal for a goalie that can help the club next season.
That’s what the Senators did when they dealt for Craig Anderson from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Brian Elliott on Feb. 18, 2011. The late Bryan Murray wanted to see what Anderson looked like and he ended up spending a decade in the club’s net.
The other possibility is for the Senators to acquire a short-term rental to finish the year. Goaltending is the backbone of the team and Forsberg had just been coming into his own.
Dorion has also gone that route during his reign. In Nov., 2016 with Anderson and backup Andrew Hammond sidelined, Dorion sent a fifth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for goaltender Mike Condon. He stabilized the net and ended up earning a new deal.
“Pierre is looking at all options but it’s not the ideal situation to have the minor-league goaltending crew up here,” Smith said.
The Senators have had a tough time keeping their goalies healthy. Since Smith took over at the start of the 2019-20 campaign, the club has used 11 different netminders.
“There seems to have been a lot of issues at centre with the shoulder issues and with the goalies,” Smith said. “With the goalies, it’s not performance-based and it’s not like we brought a bunch of guys in, there’s been a lot of injuries. It happens, it’s part of the game but it’s unfortunate it has happened as much as it has.”
