Ducks’ Jamie Drysdale to have shoulder surgery, out 4 to 6 months

IRVINE  — There was an obvious and major level of concern among the Ducks when an injured Jamie Drysdale left the ice in the second period on Friday at Vegas and did not return.

Those worries were confirmed over the weekend with the news that the defenseman would require surgery on his left shoulder to repair a torn labrum, keeping him out anywhere from four to six months, according to the Ducks’ announcement on Monday.

Drysdale left the game after taking a hit from the Golden Knights’ William Carrier in a play along the boards behind the Ducks’ net.

It is a significant blow anytime a team loses a top-four defenseman, let alone a 20-year-old who is still emerging and finding his way in his second full NHL season. Drysdale, taken sixth in the 2020 NHL draft, already has played 113 games in the league. Two other members of that class have played more games – No. 1 pick Alexis Lafreniere of the New York Rangers (145) and No. 3 Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators (140). Only one other defenseman taken in the 2020 draft has played more than 50 games: Braden Schneider of the Rangers with 53.

The short-term adjustment that the Ducks made in Drysdale’s absence was to go with an 11-forward, seven-defensemen lineup against Toronto, a 4-3 win in overtime on Sunday. Of note, they used that similar alignment in the game in which Drysdale was injured. Playing the biggest minutes against the Maple Leafs were John Klingberg, who logged 26:35, a season-high, and Dmitry Kulikov (22:23). Two defensemen came in under 10 minutes – Nathan Beaulieu (9:17) and Colton White (6:31).