In the midst of a playoff race in the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers have been struggling. They are just 3-5-1 in their last nine games, and they've slipped out of the top eight in the conference. Well, at least for now. The standings are changing pretty much every day.The news they got Monday won't help them much. Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, a key player both in five-on-five play and on special teams, will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury.
Visnovsky is set to undergo surgery Thursday in Edmonton on a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The injury happened in a collision with Dave Bolland of Chicago in the Blackhawks' 3-1 win over the Oilers last week. The hit dislocated his shoulder, but the labrum damage is what will cost Visnovsky his season. Second on the team at over 23 minutes per game, Visnovsky also leads the Oiler defensemen with a plus-six.
It's bad news, but it could be worse for the Oilers. Edmonton has three other defensemen who are averaging 20 or more minutes per game. Sheldon Souray leads the team at over 24 minutes a game, and Tom Gilbert and Denis Grebeshkov are both checking in at just over 20. It stands to reason that the three will be asked to do a bit more in Visnovsky's absence, as will Steve Staios, Ladislav Smid, and Jason Strudwick.
Don't be surprised if the Oilers suffer a dropoff in offensive production from their defenseman as a result of Visnovsky's injury, and don't be surprised if the power play suffers.
