UPDATE (8:20pm CT): Buffalo Sabres forward Ryan O’Reilly will replace Seguin on Team Canada, the league announced in a press release tonight. Although O’Reilly was not considered one of the most likely replacement candidates (the Hall omission continues to puzzle many), he brings a strong all-around game and two-way ability, adding some versatility and defensive presence to the Canadian forward corp. Seguin has officially been ruled out of the World Cup.
It seems as though another Team Canada forward has fallen victim to the injury bug. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos first reported that Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin sustained an injury during the pre-tournament for the World Cup of Hockey and is now likely to miss the actual event. Kypreos added that the injury, believed to be concerning his right knee, is not deemed to be serious. However, Seguin likely needs a week or more to recover, which is time that Team Canada does not have. They are likely to leave Seguin off of the roster, meaning he will miss the entirety of the World Cup. Elliotte Friedman has corroborated the story, and reports that an official announcement is expected tomorrow.
This injury comes after fellow Team Canada forward, Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter, was hurt while training for the World Cup. As they did when Carter went down and was replaced by Corey Perry, it seems likely that Canada will add another winger to a center-heavy roster. The team has 24 hours to make an addition before the tournament officially begins. The top candidate is likely to be the newest New Jersey Devil, Taylor Hall, who would be a fitting replacement for Seguin, as the top two 2010 draft picks will forever have their careers compared to one another. Depth is hardly an issue for the Canadian side though, and there are any number of options should they choose to add another body to the roster.
Seguin meanwhile will look toward getting healthy for the start of the NHL season. With line mate and fellow NHL star Jamie Benn also on the shelf, recovering from injury, the Stars hope that the pair can rest up and be ready for puck drop on the 2016-17 campaign. The team is hopeful that Benn will be at 100% by game time, and Seguin’s injury is not considered serious, so he too is likely to be ready for action when the new season begins next month.
O’Reilly is a perfect player to replace Seguin. O’Reilly is a very good defensive player and fits the 3rd and 4th line without sacrificing any offensive ability or creativity.