One of the top players of the Ottawa Senators, Jason Spezza, has been ruled out indefinitely and will undergo surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back. The Senators released a statement saying he will be out due to surgery, which he will have in Toronto on Friday.
It is unclear when the injury to Spezza's back might have occurred. The center left Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with what the team claimed to be an upper-body injury. It was assumed this was due to a previous injury flaring up again. He then missed the past two games before the team officially announced it was a herniated disc.
Spezza's injury will be a big hit to the Senators. Spezza is a four-time 30-goal scorer. He has earned at least one point in each game so far this season. In the five games Spezza has played in, he has had two goals and three assists.
The Senators are off to a strong start this season, going 5-1-1 in their first set of games. They currently sit at fourth in the Eastern Conference Standings. The team will rely on a more balanced attack while Spezza is recovering.
This is the second back surgery Spezza will undergo during his hockey career. In 2006, he played the final three months of the season with a severe herniated disc. He then had surgery in May of that year to repair it.
With a shortened season, the absence of Spezza for a lengthy period of time could do major harm to the Senators. GM Bryan Murray stated that Spezza could miss a minimum of two months, possibly longer. They are hoping to have him back in the later part of the season and possibly the playoffs. Having a guy who put up 84 points last season out of the lineup will make the Senator's playoff chances much smaller.
