The big debate surrounding Jake Virtanen — AHL vs. NHL — might have been settled earlier than expected and hoped. In Tuesday night’s 3-2 overtime loss against the San Jose Sharks, the sophomore winger did not return for the third period, as he suffered a shoulder injury.
We can only hope keeping Virtanen out of the final 20 minutes was simply a cautionary measure. But even assuming that it was, this isn’t good news.
As head coach Willie Desjardins keeps preaching, there are many players who will get a legitimate shot at cracking the opening-night lineup.