Josh Norris has been a bright spot in an otherwise difficult season for the Ottawa Senators with a team-high 18 goals in 36 contests. But Sens fans were holding their breath when Norris took a shot from Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes and slammed into the boards, forcing him out of last Thursday's game with an upper-body injury.

Though if things go as general manager Pierre Dorion hopes, Norris won’t be out of action particularly long.

“Right now, it looks positive for Josh Norris. He’s just getting a second opinion and we want our players to get a second opinion,” Dorion told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. “We don’t believe, at this point in time, surgery is needed. From this point in time, it’s probably another three or four weeks if he just continues to rehab.

“We’ve been very encouraged by the work he’s put in. His range of motion and strength are very close to where they should be and we hope that surgery isn’t needed. Josh really wants to play but whatever decision he and the doctors make we’ll support 100 per cent.”

Senators head coach D.J. Smith ruled Norris out until after the All-Star Break last week. Garroich writes the 22-year-old centre is scheduled to get a second opinion from the doctor who performed shoulder surgery for an injury he suffered at the World Junior Championship in 2019.

While Norris could be back soon if all goes well, the same can’t be said about Drake Batherson.

Another member of Ottawa’s young core enjoying an impressive season, Batherson was injured last week in a game against the Sabres when he was hit hard into the endboards by Buffalo goaltender Aaron Dell. Batherson was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and Dorion said the best-case scenario for the 23-year-old would be an April return, and maybe not even then.

“You feel bad for him. He was our best player this year,” Dorion told Garrioch. “We miss him when he’s not in the lineup. He could be back in April. It’s a 10-to-12-week injury but if he’s back you won’t see him at 100 per cent until next season.

“Anyone who’s had a high ankle sprain you know how bothersome they are and how much time it takes to heal. It’s almost better to break your ankle than have a high ankle sprain.”

Dell was suspended three game for the hit, which Sens winger Tyler Ennis called “dirty.”

Staying on the injury front, forward Colin White – who has not played yet this season after undergoing shoulder surgery in camp – could be back relatively soon.

Dorion said the team is targeting a Feb. 26 return for the 25-year-old centre, but added that date is fluid and will depend on a one-week minimum of contact in practice.

With all the injuries Ottawa has had to deal with up front, 20-year-old Tim Stützle made the switch over to centre and has impressed the Sens GM with his recent play.

“He’s taken his game to the next level. With Josh being out, he’s facing the best checking line on the road. We forget he’s 20-years-old and he’s playing against men. We put these young kids on pedestals and we’ve just got to be patient with them because they’re not quite there yet.”
Stützle closed out play on the first half of the season with eight goals and 13 assists in 39 contests.

When the Senators return from the All-Star Break, there won’t be much time to ease back into things as they’ll play five games in seven days beginning next Monday against the New Jersey Devils at Canadian Tire Centre.

In addition to staving off the injury bug, Dorion tells Garrioch he’d like to see the signs of growth he identified early in the season continue to progress.
“On the ice, we want to see the continued growth of our young players. We’ve got a lot of hockey in a [short amount] of days. We’ve got to make sure that we compete every day. We have to make sure we don’t get away from our identity of playing past, being physical and playing the right way,” Dorion said.