Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris is set to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his injured shoulder, marking his third such procedure before the age of 25. The news was confirmed by Senators’ Assistant Coach Jacques Martin, who stated that Norris underwent the surgery last week.
Despite the setback, there is a silver lining for Norris and the Senators, as the timing of the surgery allows for proper rehabilitation, with the goal being that he’s hopefully ready for the upcoming training camp in the next season. Martin emphasized the positives of having sufficient time for Norris to recover adequately.
This latest surgery adds to a series of setbacks for Norris, who had already undergone two previous shoulder surgeries. No doubt, the team will closely monitor his recovery and hope for a full and successful rehabilitation over the summer. The hope is that this setback is not long-lasting or has a permanent effect on his NHL career. The Senators remain optimistic about his potential impact in future seasons but three surgeries have to be concerning.
Senators Will Try to Finish Out an Overly Harsh Season
While not a playoff team and as the Senators stayed relatively quiet at the trade deadline (they moved Vladimir Tarasenko), the Senators did take proactive steps in managing the cap implications of Norris’s absence. He was placed on injured reserve on Feb. 29 and swiftly moved to long-term injured reserve the following day. His $7.95 million cap hit will not count against the cap, allowing the Senators to create enough cap space to recall players to close out the season. The Senators were often playing with a short bench due to cap constraints.
This has been a rough season for the Senators. They haven’t competed nearly as well as they would have liked, will miss the playoffs again, and can’t seem to keep one of their better players healthy. The offseason could see GM Steve Staios become one of the more active managers in an attempt to find a solution.
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