Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan McDonagh has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, but head coach Andrew Brunette believes he’ll return to the lineup in the next two games.
During a radio appearance on 102.5 The Game’s “Robby & Rexrode” on Thursday morning, Brunette seemed cautiously optimistic that McDonagh could possibly play as soon as tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.
“I’m hoping [McDonagh returns] today, if not, I think Saturday,” Brunette said. “[He’s] kind of day-to-day.”
McDonagh has two points in 10 games this season and is tied for the second-most blocked shots on the team (25). He’s Nashville’s top penalty killer, averaging a team-high 3:22 of PK time per game, and he plays the third-most minutes per game (20) on the team.
In addition to McDonagh, the Predators have also been without center Cody Glass and defensemen Luke Schenn, who have both missed significant time with lower-body injuries. Brunette stated one could be coming back sometime soon while the other will likely miss more time.
“I think Glass is getting real close and Luke is probably a little ways away still from what I’ve heard,” Brunette added. “We’ve been fairly healthy and we’re looking forward to getting those guys back.”
Glass was injured during an Oct. 19 game against the New York Rangers. He was originally given a 7-10 day injury designation but was put on injured reserve on Oct. 30, with Brunette stating he’d miss another 1-2 weeks.
In five games, Glass didn’t have a point but he led all Predators centers with a face-off win percentage of 57.9 and he averaged 13:03 of ice time per game.
Schenn, who hasn’t played since the season opener in Tampa Bay, was placed on IR on Oct. 18. He played 15:11 in his lone game, logging four hits and a blocked shot while playing 2:04 on the penalty kill. Schenn signed a three-year, $8.25 million contract with the Predators in the offseason.
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