The Detroit Red Wings have the esteemed pleasure of employing two of the best players in the world in captain Henrik Zetterberg and puck master Pavel Datsyuk. Head coach Mike Babcock is regularly afforded the opportunity to pair these two and watch the otherworldly magic they produce.
Henrik Zetterberg injury: Red Wings captain out with herniated disc
Henrik Zetterberg will miss at least two weeks with a herniated disc. He will not participate in on-ice activity during that time.
Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Spor
Now, the team will get a dose of reality as the club is expected to be without their superstars through at least this weekend. Datsyuk last played on Nov. 23 and has missed time because of a concussion, while Zetterberg is expected to miss two weeks because of a herniated disc.
Zetterberg stated that the issue developed before Sunday night's game against the Ottawa Senators and felt even worse after the contest. An MRI revealed an issue similar to the back injuries he sustained in 2008 and 2009, but developed in a different area. The captain stated that he merely required rest and would not participate in on-ice activity over the two week recovery period.
Without Zetterberg, Babcock will need to plug the hold at top-line center. It appears as though Johan Franzen will be tasked with taking over the role, according to Ansar Khan of MLive.com.
Update: Now the team has confirmed that Todd Bertuzzi will be unavailable for the Red Wings’ game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night. This means their entire first line will be scratched:
Mike Babcock says no Todd Bertuzzi Wednesday, #RedWings will have to call up someone
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) December 3, 2013 More from SB Nation NHL:
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