"We have a plan in place": Senators coach Travis Green provides major update on Linus Ullmark and Josh Norris absence

By Evan Bell

Modified Sep 24, 2024 20:20 GMT

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Linus Ullmark was absent from Tuesday's pregame skate and has raised eyebrows ahead of the 2024-25 season. In addition, winger Josh Norris, who participated in it before the rematch with the Toronto Maple Leafs, wasn't listed on the team's lines for the game.

While the Senators were able to pick up a 6-5 despite the absences of Ullmark and Norris on Sunday, coach Travis Green was asked about the status of both players heading into Tuesday's rematch.

In the case of Linus Ullmark, after a "tweak," the team is playing things safe:

"Yeah, he's, he's fine," Green said. "He's going to be fine, just being cautious, and I think he's joining the group tomorrow. He skated on his own again."

Green then said that Norris, the 2021 All-Rookie team member, will play this preseason even if it's not on Tuesday:

"Yeah, he's feeling good. we're going to err on the side of caution, but he's feeling good, feeling good about himself, and I'll say the same thing I said the other day, where you're going to see him in a game sooner than later."

Looking at the injury status of both Linus Ullmark and Josh Norris ahead of the 2024-25 NHL season

Last season, the Ottawa Senators struggled to find consistency throughout the regular season and finished the year with a 37-41-4 record which landed them second-to-last in the Atlantic Division.

When the offseason kicked off, the team managed to acquire 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins via trade in hopes of bolstering their netminding for the season ahead.

While it's unclear what exactly Ullmark "tweaked" during the Senators' preseason training camp, TSN has reported that the veteran goalie hasn't practiced since late last week.

Given that coach Travis Green said that the team is playing it cautiously ahead of the 2024-25 season, the hope is that he will return to practice sooner rather than later.

In the case of Josh Norris, the young winger has dealt with a slew of shoulder injuries throughout his career. Since being drafted in 2017, Norris has had three shoulder surgeries over the past five seasons.

Most notably, he only played in eight games in the 2022-23 campaign. Norris wound up being shut down for the season and placed on long-term injury reserve (LTIR).

While it was expected that he was good to go at the start of training camp, Senators fans will likely have to wait a bit longer to see him skate this preseason.