Following a fight with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns, Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour will miss approximately four weeks after undergoing hand surgery.
Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour will miss the next four weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a hand injury.
In addition to the timeline, the Kraken announced that Montour will be placed on the injured reserve, an unsurprising move given the approximate four-week timeline.
Montour last played on Dec. 16 against the Colorado Avalanche. The 31-year-old exited the game after playing 11:46 of ice time. Although the Kraken or Montour haven't revealed the exact moment when the injury was sustained, the last play before Montour exited was his fight with Avs defenseman Brent Burns.
The two exchanged haymakers, with Montour making solid connections with Burns' helmet multiple times. For all these reasons, it's safe to assume that Montour's injury occurred during this fight.
The injury news puts the Kraken in a very difficult situation. They were already reeling with Montour in the lineup, but now, without their sixth leading scorer (six goals and 16 points in 27 games), they are in real danger of continuing to slide down the standings. The Kraken already own the NHL's second-worst offense, and Montour is a major reason why they have stayed afloat, averaging the second-most ice time on the team, trailing just Vince Dunn.
The Kraken will need a group-wide effort from their blueline and from some forwards to replace the hole Montour's absence will leave.
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