Key Takeaways
- Brayden Point, a forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Team Canada, suffered a potentially serious injury just a month before the Olympic tournament.
- Point’s injury may lead to a replacement on Team Canada, with potential candidates including Connor Bedard, Sam Bennett, Wyatt Johnston, Mark Scheifele, Seth Jarvis, and Travis Konecny.
- The replacement player will need to fill a key role on the team, potentially as a second-line right winger alongside Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini.
- The Olympic tournament is set to begin on February 11, with Canada facing the Czech Republic on February 12 in Group A.
Introduction to the Injury
Tampa Bay Lightning and Team Canada forward Brayden Point suffered an ugly-looking injury on Monday, just a month before the Olympic tournament is set to begin. The injury occurred while Point was scoring his 11th goal of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers, as defenseman Cam York fell onto his right leg. Point immediately grabbed his knee and was helped off the ice, avoiding putting any weight on the leg. The severity of the injury is still unknown, but it has raised concerns about Point’s availability for the upcoming Olympic tournament.
Assessing the Impact of the Injury
The injury to Point is a significant blow to Team Canada, as he was one of the team’s first six roster players announced in the summer. Despite struggling to reach his typical offensive output this season, Point had been heating up of late, with eight points in his past five games and points in all but four games since December 1. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, who will also coach Canada at the Olympics, acknowledged that Point’s game had "really turned the corner" and that he was scoring every night for the team. The loss of Point’s production and experience will be felt by Team Canada, and the team will need to find a suitable replacement if he is unable to participate in the tournament.
Potential Replacements for Point
If Point is out long-term, the question becomes who will replace him on Team Canada. TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun previously reported that Connor Bedard, Sam Bennett, Wyatt Johnston, Mark Scheifele, Seth Jarvis, and Travis Konecny have been told they are possible injury replacements. Of the group, Scheifele, Johnston, and Bedard are having the best offensive seasons, with all three outproducing Point to date. Scheifele has picked up where he left off after posting a career-best 87 points last season, with 22 goals and 52 points through 44 games. Johnston has 25 goals and 51 points in 46 games, on track to blow past his career-best 33 goals and 71 points from last season. Bedard, despite missing nearly a month of action with an upper-body injury, still sits 24th in the NHL with 19 goals and 46 points in 33 games.
Familiarity and Experience
There’s a sense of familiarity working in favor of Bennett, Jarvis, and Konecny, as all three were part of Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off team. Bennett, who was considered the most surprising player to miss Team Canada’s initial roster, has 16 goals and 35 points in 45 games this season. The 29-year-old forward is coming off a trophy-filled past two years, helping the Florida Panthers to two straight Stanley Cups while winning the Conn Smythe Trophy last spring and helping Canada to their 4 Nations title last winter. Jarvis is also coming off an injury but returned to the Carolina Hurricanes lineup last week, with 12 goals and 33 points in 38 games this season. Konecny, who blamed his own play this season for not making the initial cut, has 14 goals and 38 points in 43 games, and finished with 24 goals and 76 points in 82 games last year.
The Road Ahead for Team Canada
If Canada is forced to replace Point, it’s unclear the exact role management will be looking to fill. Point was listed as the team’s second-line right winger, alongside Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini, on TSN’s projected lines when the roster was named on December 31. The Olympic tournament is set to open on February 11, with Finland facing Slovakia and host Italy taking on Sweden. Canada will play its first game on February 12 against the Czech Republic in Group A, and every team will advance to the knockout rounds, with the three group winners and top second-place team advancing straight into the quarter-finals. The team will need to adjust quickly to the loss of Point and find a way to fill the void left by his injury if they hope to succeed in the tournament.