Alex Burrows breaks his Jaw, Out 4 Weeks

Oh boy. Alex Burrows’ season from hell continues on in the worst way. After being sidelined for 12 games following the opener back on October 3rd, Burrows failed to find the back of the net in 17 games (despite a healthy dose of chances and opportunities). Now, he’ll have to wait at least 4 weeks to get his 1st of the year..

It’s being speculated that it happened on this play: 

According to Botch, Burrows seemed to think something was amiss, at the time of the injury, anyway.

If it is true, well that’s a heavy blow to a player who’d been played pretty well but was having trouble putting the biscuit in the basket.

Obviously Zack Kassian would draw back in the lineup, but don’t expect him to be an ice-time beneficary, even if it seems like Torts should really give the big guy the chance. We know he’ll do better than Dale Weise – at least he’s got a bigger upside anyway – but being in the dog house usually means you don’t get the benefit of the doubt. 

David Booth could move up, but given that Torts would probably see he and Mike Santorelli as having that elusive ‘chemistry’ – which would be mostly anecdotal. They’ve barely spent any time together. Given that Ryan Kesler had a run of success with the Sedins, might we see him bumped up, Santorelli re-instated as number 2 centre, with Booth and either Higgins or Hansen riding shotgun? That would leave Brad Richardson as 3C, Kassian as one winger and the remaining Higgins or Hansen on the other flank. The threatening Sestito-Welsh-Weise line might make its threatening return, or perhaps Weise and Kassian would be swapped.

Or, I suppose you could go a little off of centre and pull up Darren Archibald or Nick Jensen from Utica.

But any way you shake it, this news sucks.