After a medical examination on his injured left calf, it has been determined that forward Adam Fantilli , selected third overall by the Blue Jackets last summer , will miss an estimated eight weeks.
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He suffered a laceration to his left calf that was caused by a skate blade Sunday in Seattle . The full exam was performed in Columbus once the Blue Jackets returned from a 10-day trip to Western Canada, Seattle and St. Louis .
Should Fantilli require the full length of recovery, the eight-week mark from the date of injury is March 24, a span of 21 games. That number would be higher if the Blue Jackets weren't starting a "bye" week that includes the NHL's all-star break this weekend in Toronto . They don't return to action until Feb. 10 against the Tampa Bay Lightning .
"It's no fun getting injured and it's going to take some time, but at the same time, it could've been a lot worse," Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. "So, I think in a way you could say he got lucky."
Fantilli was injured in the second period of the Blue Jackets' 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Sunday at Climate Pledge Arena. After delivering a body check against the Kraken's Jared McCann near the Blue Jackets' bench, Fantilli's left calf was sliced by the opposing forward's left skate blade as it returned to the ice.
Fantilli immediately pulled up, grabbed the back of his lower leg, hopped off the ice on his right skate and quickly headed down the tunnel to the visiting locker room. The blade cut Fantilli after first cutting through his outer "hockey sock" plus a protective Kevlar sock that all Blue Jackets players wear underneath their gear.
Had the protective sock not been worn, the injury could've been much more devastating. Fantilli has avoided placing weight on his left leg since the injury, using crutches to move around. It's a disappointing development in what's been an strong rookie season, but retaining the possibility of returning at all this season is now the bright side for Fantilli.
"It's been a very good first season in the National Hockey League and he's still learning," Kekalainen said. "He's a great kid. He's eager to learn, eager to get better, has great work ethic and attitude, so we're very pleased with his progress."
If he's able to play by March 24, that would leave 11 games remaining in the Jackets' season.
Fantilli has already put up solid numbers for a teenage rookie. He has a scoring line of 12 goals, 15 assists and 27 points in 49 games, and currently ranks fourth among NHL rookies in points. His goal total is tied with teammate Dmitri Voronkov for third among first-year NHL players.
"He's electric when he's on the ice," Blue Jackets center Sean Kuraly said. "You can see he's just ... it's kind of like the new age 'make something out of nothing,' and that's not something that I've seen a ton of in my days in the NHL. It's more just straight up speed and attack, and knife through the (defenders), and he can do it solo sometimes. That's been really impressive."
Coach Pascal Vincent is also impressed by Fantilli's demeanor off the ice.
He's handled the instant fame of being such a high pick smoothly, and Vincent said he fits in with a handful of the NHL's top stars who went through the same process. Fantilli, in his opinion, is right up there with the best of them in dealing with expectations.
"There's an amount of pressure that we don't understand because we're not in his shoes, and what I've learned is he can deal with that," Vincent said. "He wants to be a difference maker. I really liked his character early in the season, but I see a guy that wants to be a difference maker when the game is on the line. To me, that's a skill. He has passion for the game, he wants to play big minutes, and that's something that I value quite a bit."
It's something that will be missed in the Blue Jackets' locker room, along with Fantilli's speed on the ice.
"He's a big part of our team, not only on the ice but off the ice," center Cole Sillinger said. "He's obviously got a pretty good head on his shoulders. He's being positive about it and everything that's going on, so I don't have a doubt in my mind that he'll be back as quick as he can. It's just an unfortunate break, and you never want to see anyone get hurt like that."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Skate laceration to sideline Blue Jackets' Fantilli eight weeks
