Senators prospect Tyler Boucher dealing with another injury

Belleville Senators forward Tyler Boucher will miss “weeks” with an upper-body injury, head coach David Bell told TSN 1200 on Tuesday. Boucher suffered his injury after tangling skates with a member of the Laval Rockets, and falling hard into the boards, in Belleville’s loss on Sunday.

This is yet another injury for the former 10th overall pick. Boucher has been limited in every season dating back to the 2020-21 campaign — his draft year. Through the years he has suffered a torn labrum that required surgery, a groin injury, multiple knee injuries and a leg injury from a player falling on him last January. Looking back on his string of misfortune, Boucher told Sportscenter’s Claire Hanna that he felt he was due for a good year during Ottawa’s training camp. 12 games into the season, that sentiment has turned into a jinx.

Boucher seemed to be finding his way in Belleville before going down. He had six points and a plus-two on the year, including two points and seven shots on goal in his last four games. He was gradually climbing the lineup after posting just 15 points in 68 games over the last two AHL seasons. Now, Boucher will land on the shelf once again, though seemingly for only a little while this time around.

In positive news, Bell also shared that goaltender Mads Sogaard is healthy to return to the Belleville after recovering from an undisclosed injury sustained on Oct. 27. It appeared to be a lower-body injury, caused by Toronto Marlies forward Jacob Quillan tumbling into the goaltender. Sogaard had to be helped off the ice, while Qullian had to answer to Belleville bruiser Jorian Donovan.

Sogaard will be a nice addition to Belleville’s lineup, even after a slow start to the year. He posted no wins and a .830 save percentage in three games to start the year — but also boasts the fourth-most NHL experience on the Belleville roster behind Arthur Kaliyev, Scott Harrington, and Olle Lycksell. Sogaard has recorded 11 wins and a .879 save percentage in 29 career appearances with Ottawa, to go with 50 wins and a .904 save percentage in 107 AHL games. His slow start, and injury, should default him to a role behind Hunter Shepard when he returns. Shepard leads Belleville with four wins and a .911 save percentage in eight games. Sogaard should back him up, especially with teammate Leevi Merilainen currently recalled to the NHL.