The Nashville Predators have announced that center Ryan Johansen will be out for 12 weeks after undergoing surgery on his right leg.
Johansen left Tuesday night's 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks after a skate blade caught his lower leg. Following the game, Johansen was walking around the arena in crutches, according to Teresa Walker of the Associated Press.
The Predators were already struggling for offense, especially with Filip Forsberg sidelined due to a concussion, and losing Johansen will only make scoring goals tougher. Even in a down year, Johansen is fifth on the team in goals (12) and points (28). He also plays a big role on Nashville's top power play unit.
Players like Cody Glass and Mikael Granlund will be asked to pick up the slack in Johansen's absence.
Seven points out of the second Wild Card spot, the Predators are barely hanging on in the Western Conference playoff race, and there are rumblings that they could become a seller by the Mar. 3 trade deadline. Johansen's injury might make that decision even easier for general manager David Poile.
If Nashville does go in that direction, there are a few players who could get a decent return on the trade market. Defensemen Dante Fabbro and Mattias Ekholm would be intriguing options for teams looking to upgrade their blue line, and the Predators have a surplus of talent at the goaltending position with Juuse Saros and Yaroslav Askarov.
