Top 5 Most Significant NHL Injuries That Changed the Landscape of the 2015-16 Season
Each year organizations are faced with adversity where their depth is tested. In some cases, a team will lose their star player for an extended period of time, whereas others face a veritable injury carousel. If a team is lucky, the man-games lost will be minimal at the conclusion of the regular season.
Several NHL injuries of significance occurred in 2015-16 which set their teams on a path towards the draft lottery. Below we’re counting down the top 5 most significant NHL injuries from this season:
5. G Karri Ramo, Calgary Flames
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The Flames sputtered out of the gates to open the 2015-16 season with a goalie carousel before Ramo finally secured the number one spot. With Johnny Gaudreau catching fire in late 2015, and Ramo regularly making highlight-reel saves, Calgary was on a path to challenge for the final Wild-Card spot.
Karri Ramo was lost for the season in a collision with San Jose Sharks F Joonas Donskoi back on February 11th. Any chance at a Playoff berth was essentially lost as the team turned to Jonas Hiller and Joni Ortio to man the crease.
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4. G Mike Smith, Arizona Coyotes
He wasn’t having a Vezina quality season when he went down in late 2015, in fact it was largely considered a down-year for Smith over the first few months.
His stats left something to be desired, but was still arguably the Coyotes MVP at the time. Smith was doing exactly what you need your starter to do; keep your team in games, and give them a chance to win every night.
Mike Smith was racking up the wins prior to a core muscle injury that forced him to miss 40 games. The Coyotes were actually in a Playoff position with a healthy starting goaltender.
Rookie Louis Domingue showed promise capturing Rookie of the Month honors in January, but unfortunately the kids (Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, etc.) hit a wall and the team struggled to put together wins.
By the time he returned on March 12th, Arizona was already destined for the draft lottery.
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3. F Clarke MacArthur, Ottawa Senators
Not your prototypical top-six forward, MacArthur’s loss perhaps carries more significance than people realize. While he may not fit into most teams top two lines, he’s that missing offensive piece Bryan Murray kept referring to all season long.
Clarke MacArthur only suited up four games in 2015-16 due to a concussion with lingering symptoms. In turn, the Sens were never able to replace those 16 goals (36 points) from 2014-15.
Latest speculation suggests that Ottawa will be very active this offseason. One must wonder if Bryan Murray would be in this position with a healthy Clarke MacArthur in 2015-16.
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2. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
The hype surrounding the next big phenom was overwhelming heading into 2015-16. Expectations were that Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel would challenge one another in a race for the Calder Trophy. Fans also wanted to see this team take a step in the right direction climbing out of the NHL’s basement.
After a slow-start in his first few games, McDavid caught fire before going down with a long-term injury early in the year.
The Oilers were without Jordan Eberle to begin the season, only to return shortly after losing Connor McDavid.
Edmonton’s injury carousel was costly in 2015-16. If it wasn’t Eberle or McDavid, it was Oscar Klefbom or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Who knows how much better the Oilers would have fared with a fully healthy roster.
The worst part about losing Connor McDavid is the “what if’s” that surround it. Instead of the Calder Trophy being the most highly debated Award, it’s conceivable that McDavid would be running away with the honors. With 45 points in 42 games, the phenom is producing at a similar pace as Jamie Benn or Patrick Kane.
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1. Carey Price/Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens
Through the first 10 to 15 games, Montreal was the only team keeping pace with the Washington Capitals. After going down with what seemed to be a short-term injury, Price made his return, but re-aggravated the injury in his second game, only to be lost ever since.
Montreal held their own without Price for a good chunk of the 2015 calendar year. Mike Condon was a brick wall in net, but many in the hockey world questioned how long they could ride the hot hand.
Oddly enough, the wheels fell off completely around the time Brendan Gallagher went down.
Gallagher’s injury set in motion a free-fall that may go down as the most epic regular season collapse in NHL history.
Next: NHL Offseason Goals For Every Team
The above may help explain why this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs are without a Canadian participant for the first time since 1969-70. As it turns out, three out of the five teams featured in our countdown may be facing significant offseason changes. How much will this season’s injury history factor into decisions this summer?