A big blow to Arizona as Nick Schmaltz will miss significant time
There's never a good time for an injury, but it hurts a bit more when it's significant and was suffered in the first game of the season. Nick Schmaltz of the Arizona Coyotes left the team's season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins last Thursday after just 2:26 of ice time. He'll be out of action for six-to-eight weeks with an upper-body injury.
Schmaltz, 26, had a career-year in every major offensive category in 2021-22, with 23 goals and 36 assists in 63 games. He was second only to Clayton Keller for scoring in Arizona last season.
Schmaltz has a history of "upper-body" injuries, and has missed significant time on three previous occasions because of it. When he's healthy, he is certainly effective.
The Coyotes also announced Monday that defenceman Conor Timmins is day-to-day. He also has an upper-body injury.
Top 10 latest hockey stories
