The St. Louis Blues announced that Kevin Shattenkirk needs abdominal surgery and will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. The surgery will reportedly take place in seven to 10 days and then the recovery period will be on the week-to-week basis previously mentioned. The injury is obviously a tough blow for the Blues, but it may also be a fatal blow for Shattenkirk’s Norris chances.
Through 49 games, Shattenkirk has posted eight goals and 32 assists for a total of 40 points. His 40-point total is the second-best of all defensemen, trailing Mark Giordano by two points. Shattenkirk is even better with the man advantage. He has 24 points which is the most points on the power play out of any NHL defensemen. All of these stats along with many others have Shattenkirk in the short conversation for the Norris Trophy.
Unfortunately, a lengthy absence caused by this abdominal issue will effectively eliminate his Norris chances. Aside from the obvious drop in stats, those in charge of voting are more likely to award the trophy to a player who didn’t miss any time for his team. The “grit” and “Iron Man” qualities are mostly intangibles, but you can bet the award will go to a player who didn’t miss much time.
Ultimately it’d be nice for Shattenkirk to stay in the Norris conversation all season long, but really there’s only one trophy Blues fans care about this season.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
