We have a definitive diagnosis on the injuries to two of the Anaheim Ducks’ young stars.
On Thursday, the team revealed that forward Trevor Zegras has a broken left ankle, while defenseman Pavel Mintyukov has a separated shoulder.
Zegras is going to have surgery in the near future, and is expected to be for the next six to eight weeks, as Mintyukov will be out of the lineup for approximately six weeks as well.
Both suffered their injuries on Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators. In the first period, after getting entangled with Predators’ forward Juuso Parssinen, Zegras fell awkwardly into the boards. He ended up needing help to get off the ice and back into the dressing room.
Mintyukov was injured during the third period of the Ducks’ 5-3 loss to the Preds.
Zegras had already missed time this season with a different lower-body injury, as the 22-year-old was out for 20 games from November into December.
This is the first time Mintyukov has ever missed time while in the NHL.
It has been a rough go for Zegras so far this season, having only played only 20 games so far, scoring four goals and three assists.
He is in the first year of a three-year contract, with an AAV of $5.75 million.
With the recent trade that sent Jamie Drysdale to the Philadelphia Flyers, Mintyukov was going to play a more important role in Anaheim. Through 40 games, the Russian-born rookie has two goals and 17 assists.
Mintyukov is in the second season of a four-year deal with an AAV of over $1.7 million.
The Ducks (14-25-1) are set to take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, the second game of a five-game road trip out east. They are seventh in the Pacific Division, eight points ahead of the last-place San Jose Sharks, 14 points back of the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
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