Ducks’ Nate Thompson could be out until trade deadline

Ducks center Nate Thompson could be out past the 2016-17 trade deadline due to an Achilles tendon injury suffered during an offseason workout.

The Anaheim Ducks have a long offseason ahead of them, even after bringing back former head coach Randy Carlyle to coach them again after firing Bruce Boudreau. They will have to plan for an unexpected injury, as center Nate Thompson suffered an Achilles tendon injury during an offseason work out.

“He suffered it during a workout session,” said Ducks general manager Murray, via NHL.com. “We’ll be lucky to see him before the trade deadline, but he healed quickly from his shoulder injury.”

While Thompson recovered very quickly for an offseason shoulder surgery during last summer, missing only 25 games despite it being a fairly significant injury, that doesn’t mean that he will recover quickly at all from an Achilles tendon injury. The Achilles tendon is very important for hockey players, as it helps them make quick cuts and skate.

During the 2015-16 season, Thompson played in 49 games, amassing six points (three goals and three assists). He also recorded two goals during the first round series against the Nashville Predators. Thompson averaged 11:36 of ice time per game during the 2015-16 season serving as Anaheim’s fourth line center. Replacing him will be a bit tricky considering that he averaged nearly two minutes per game killing penalties during the 2015-16 season. He was a huge part of the Ducks’ penalty kill, which finished the regular season as the best in the NHL.

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