Nashville Predators’ Ryan Johansen to undergo surgery on right leg

Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen will undergo surgery on his right leg today, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Johansen suffered the injury during the second period of Tuesday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, when Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes’ skate blade accidentally went into the back of Johansen’s right leg. The Preds center was seen leaving the arena on crutches with his right foot in a walking boot.

While there’s no reports on the specifics of the injury and the timeline for recovery, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was out for the remainder of the season with how severe it’s looked up to this point.

Johansen left the game after playing just 11:07 of ice time over the course of 14 shifts, with just a takeaway, a giveaway, three blocked shots, and a hit taken on the record for the night. The Preds were up 2-1 when Johansen left, and would go on to win 5-4 in the shootout after blowing a two-goal lead with just 1:07 left in the third.

Like a lot of the Predators, Johansen is having a down year after having one of his best seasons in 2021-22. If this is in fact the end of his season, he’ll finish with just 12 goals, 16 assists, and 28 points in 55 games.

Once a fourth overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010, Johansen spent parts of five seasons with the Blue Jackets before he was dealt to the Predators for Seth Jones in 2016.

He’s in the sixth year of an eight-year contract with an $8 million cap hit, a deal he signed with the Preds shortly after the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.

It’s a big blow for a Predators team on its last legs in the playoff race, as they are seven points behind the Minnesota Wild, who hold the final wild card spot. They currently sit fifth in the Central Division with a 27-22-6 record.