Peter Regin had his 2010-11 season cut short by a dislocated left shoulder.
Now the centreman could miss the start of this new campaign with an injury to the same shoulder.
While Paul MacLean said he’s “optimistic” that Regin could be ready for the Oct. 7 opener at Detroit, the head coach admitted they won’t have a full picture of his health until he undergoes further testing.
“He’s out right now and he’s got to do some more tests,” MacLean said on Wednesday afternoon. “He’s not going to play (Thursday). Right now he’s day-to-day.”
The forward left in the first period of Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to the Maple Leafs, after colliding with Toronto defenceman Jean-Michael Liles. Ironically, he also suffered the dislocated shoulder in February in a game against the Maple Leafs. That injury required Regin to undergo surgery on his left shoulder last spring, though he told reporters in recent days that he had fully recovered from that procedure.
Regin appeared to have the inside track on the Senators’ second-line centre position, despite coming off a disappointing season. In 55 games before the injury last season, he tallied just three goals and 14 assists. The club had hoped Regin would build off a solid playoff performance in 2010, in which he scored three goals in a six-game series loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The injury to Regin now opens the door for two rookies to seize the second-line centre job — at least to start the regular season. Both Mika Zibanejad and Stephane Da Costa entered camp battling with Regin for an opportunity to play in Ottawa’s top six.
Zibanejad — the club’s first-round pick in this summer’s NHL Entry Draft — has looked solid in pre-season action, collecting three goals in five games. He did not want to look at Regin’s injury as an opportunity for himself.
“I’m really sad for him. He’s been doing really good during this pre-season. I just hope he’s back as soon as possible,” Zibanejad said.
The 18-year-old Zibanejad spent a portion of Wednesday’s practice skating on a line between veterans Daniel Alfredsson and Milan Michalek — a good indication that the staff is happy with his development to this point.
“I have high expectations on myself, even though I have pressure,” Zibanejad said. “I want to have fun out there and if I score, that’s a bonus.
While Zibanejad has been impressive, Da Costa remains on the radar as a replacement for Regin as well. The Senators were one of several teams who pursued the forward last spring when he was an NCAA standout at Merrimack. DaCosta appeared in four NHL games with the Senators last season, although he did not register a point.
“I think I’m close; I think I can play with these guys,” DaCosta said. “I’m just here to try my best and we’ll see if the staff thinks if I’m ready or not.”
DaCosta has been battling through a lower-body injury during training camp and even briefly left Wednesday’s practice session after he appeared to pull up lame after a drill. But he says the injury is not serious and it should not impact his availability for the start of the regular season.
