Josh Norris injury update: Insider shares optimism around Senators center's return

Ottawa Senators v New York Rangers
Josh Norris injury update: Insider shares optimism around Senators center's return

The Ottawa Senators had high hopes for center Josh Norris as they entered the 2023-24 NHL season. He was expected to play a crucial role as the top-line center, but it seems that Norris's return to the ice might be slightly delayed due to a shoulder injury.

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According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman:

"At this time, Ottawa will not place Josh Norris on long-term injury. There’s hope he could play by next week."
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Josh Norris, 24, had an impressive 35-goal season in 2021-22 and subsequently signed a substantial eight-year, $63.6 million deal. Unfortunately, his 2022-23 season was marred by shoulder injuries.

He played just eight games after initially getting injured in October against the Arizona Coyotes. Norris made a brief return in January but re-injured his shoulder, leading to surgery in February.

General manager Pierre Dorion initially downplayed the severity of Norris's issue, referring to it as "very minor." Norris was seen practicing with the team, shedding the non-contact yellow jersey he had been wearing, indicating progress. However, despite his active participation in practice, he has not received medical clearance for game action.

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Ottawa's coach, D.J. Smith, told reporters:

“Right now, the training staff and doctors are telling me he’s not going to play. It’s unfortunate. I know the kid wants to play hockey. As a coaching staff, we’ve had to change some things around. Our power play, we always have Josh in that one-time spot. Never did we think that possibly we’d start the year without him and it certainly looks that way.”
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Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris' NHL career

Josh Norris' NHL career began with midget hockey for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies and a stint with the U.S. National Development Team. He committed to playing college hockey at Michigan in 2016 before being drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the 2017 NHL entry draft.

Josh Norris was then traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2018 as part of a significant deal for Erik Karlsson. He showed great promise, but an injury during the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships sidelined him for the rest of that season. Despite the setback, Norris signed an entry-level contract with the Senators and excelled in the AHL, earning an NHL debut in February 2020.

His rookie season was highly impressive, securing him a place on the All-Rookie team. However, his 2022-23 season was marred by a shoulder injury, forcing him to miss a significant portion of the season and ultimately undergo surgery, ending his year prematurely.

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Edited by John Maxwell
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