Josh Norris will be sidelined with the Ottawa Senators indefinitely with a shoulder injury.
Norris appeared in just eight games last season. He injured his shoulder on October 22 against the Arizona Coyotes, returned on January 18, played in three games, and underwent season-ending surgery.
The 24-year-old forward was expected to be ready for training camp and play during the preseason, but he’s not yet.
“That’s a concern. He’s been in the lineup when we’ve been doing lineups since mid-June to July,” Senators coach DJ Smith said Saturday. “…At this point, he’s been told he can’t play. We’re going to continue to do what we have to do, but the players and we all understand that we want Josh to play.”
Norris, who had three points (two goals and one assist) last season, was expected to play on the second line and top power play unit alongside Vladimir Tarasenko and Drake Batherson.
“Right now, the training staff and doctors say he’s not going to play,” Smith said. “Again, it’s disappointing. I know that kid wants to play hockey. As a coaching staff, we had to change some things, especially the power play. Josh You’re always in that one-off position. We never thought about it. We’d probably start the year without him and it certainly looks that way.”
Norris signed an eight-year, $63.6 million contract with the Senators on July 14, 2022, averaging $7.95 million annually.
He had 93 points (54 goals, 39 assists) in 133 regular season games, including an NHL career-high 35 goals in 66 games in 2021-22.
“It’s frustrating for everyone involved. He’s an important part of this team, but all we can do is have the mindset of the next guy and do what we have to do,” Smith said.
The Senators play their final preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and open the regular season at the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, BSSO, SN1, RDS).
