Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin has been forced to miss six games straight this season with an undisclosed injury.
Despite the wishes of the Tampa Bay Lightning and their fans, the Lightning has been stung by the injury bug once again this season. The good news here is the Bolts have worked through their struggles and managed to find a way to maintain their comfy position at the top of the Atlantic Division and (for now) the NHL.
One of the players who has been hit hardest by injuries this season has been Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin. The 23-year-old defenseman has already been forced to miss six games in a row due to an undisclosed injury. Needless to say, this is the kind of loss which is deeply felt by the team.
While things may seem all doom and gloom at the moment, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Albeit, the light is a little dim at the moment, but it is, in fact, there. So…there’s both good news and bad news here. Judging by the looks of things, Dotchin is making strides towards his return; however, he’s not quite ready just yet.
According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, Jake Dotchin did return to practice with the team this morning; however, he was dressed in one of those dreaded red no-contact jerseys. While there has been no official confirmation from the team regarding Dotchin’s actual injury or the severity of the said injury, it seems it was a little worse than originally expected.
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Originally, it was expected Dotchin would be able to rejoin the team following the conclusion of their four-game road trip. Unfortunately, this was simply not meant to be.
Dotchin has only played in 19 games with the Lightning this season, but this doesn’t mean he hasn’t already made an impact. The Ontario native is currently in fourth place on the team among defensemen in hits this season with 24, leading even veteran players like Anton Stralman. He is also in fourth place on the team in Blocked Shots per Game, coming in at 1.1 so far this season.
As has been proven many times in the past by defensemen like Victor Hedman, a good two-way defenseman is truly a wonder to behold. While Dotchin may not be on Hedman’s level just yet, he is certainly on his way. In the 19 games he’s played thus far, Dotchin has registered two goals and two assists for a total of four points.
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So, the bad news is, Jake Dotchin will not be ready to rejoin the team when they take the ice tomorrow night to take on the New York Islanders. The good news is, judging by his return to practice, he is making consistent strides towards making his return to the ice.