Evan Headrick is sidelined with no timeline for return after getting injured in a preseason game last weekend.
The Kitchener Rangers' 15th-overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection will be sidelined for the foreseeable future due to an injury he sustained last weekend.
Two days ago, Waterloo region sports reporter Josh Brown reported that Headrick suffered a fractured wrist in Sunday's contest against the Oshawa Generals.
Headrick, a 5-foot-7 forward, excelled at the U-16 AAA level last season. In 31 games with the Oakville Rangers last season, Headrick recorded 21 goals and added 28 assists for a total of 49 points. He scored six goals and added five assists for 11 points in seven games at the OHL Cup.
He also went to the Centennial Cup as a member of the Oakville Blades. In three games he registered one assist.
Headrick was undoubtedly a big part of the Rangers' plans for this season. He signed with the team in April shortly after the OHL Priority Selection.
As a first-round pick, they hoped he would be able to spend the first part of the season developing and adjusting to the OHL. It will put a dent in the team's plans to be without their first-round pick for an indefinite period.
It is not unheard of for a first-round pick to sustain an injury early in the season. Quinn Beauchesne, Guelph's first-round pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, fractured his wrist in late October and subsequently missed half of last season.
Headrick may be on a similar trajectory to Beauchesne who returned in early February. As of yet, the team has not set any timetable for Headrick's return.
Based on trades made this offseason, Kitchener is a team that is trying to go through a quick rebuild. Headrick was a big part of that rebuild. This may set some of the team's plans back for the near future.
The good news is that Headrick will be able to keep himself in shape. As he did not suffer a lower-body injury he may still be able to maintain his stamina and potentially skate with the team.
Kitchener has been successful so far in the preseason winning the majority of their games. They will have to soldier on despite the lack of their first-round pick for the foreseeable future.