Well, here we are trying to enjoy the first day of training camp after a pretty fun rookie showcase. The players are back in town and getting their medical testing done, catching up on their summer vacations, and generally having a good time. Then, a little bit of bad news drops once general manager Julien BriseBois starts chatting with reporters. It appears that Nick Paul, he that does it all, will be out of the line-up until at least November as he recovers from an upper-body injury.
Cool.
Looks, it’s not on the level of Andrei Vasilevskiy and his back surgery from a few seasons ago, but it’s still not great news. While Paul has his detractors, he is a vital part of the Lightning offense. The 6’4″ forward has been a reliable source of secondary offense since arriving in town at the 2022 trade deadline. In 259 regular season games with the Bolts he has 133 points (68 goals, 65 assists) while playing up and down the line-up and in all situations.
It’s a tough loss up front for Tampa Bay, especially defensively, as Paul is one of their better forwards when it comes to breaking up plays in the defensive zone. They’ll also miss his penalty-killing prowess. While he’s not the most physical player, his long reach has a way of breaking up passes in his own zone and helping transition the puck from defense to offense.
While Mr. BriseBois was typically vague about the exact nature of the injury, he had mentioned at the end of last season that the 30-year-old forward had been dealing with a tear in his left wrist. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, the general manager explained that Paul opted for surgery after summer rehab didn’t help with the existing injury. Is it his wrist? Is it something else? Only the GM knows (well, so does the medical staff. And Nick Paul. Probably his family as well).
The injury will open up a spot on the roster that wasn’t there a couple of weeks ago, and adds a little competition to training camp. Paul was likely to open the season in a bottom-six role, either centering the fourth line or as a winger on either the third or fourth line. Prior to the announcement, the roster, at least among the forwards, was looking pretty set. Now there is some intrigue.
Could it be an opening for one of the new acquisitions such as Jakob Pelletier or Boris Katchouk? Can one of the rookies like Ethan Gauthier or Dylan Duke claim the spot? Does it keep Zemgus Girgensons on the ice and out of the press box? Well, that’s what the next couple of weeks will determine.
The good news is that it is not a season-ending injury. Paul is scheduled to be back with the team some time in November, which should provide a nice boost for the team as they head into that weird period during the holidays and prior to the Olympic break. While they will miss his secondary scoring while he is out, there is still plenty of offense left in the line-up to keep them contending in the division. If a player steps in and shows out, even better.
