Center Of Attention
Derek Stepan will likely miss the first month of the season due to a fractured fibula in his left leg. The Minnesota native collapsed during conditioning exercises yesterday after exacerbating an injury thought to have occurred back on September 9th during informal skates, when he blocked a shot.
The news of the injury is disappointing of course, but as Larry Brooks pointed out today, it’s better that it happened now, than later in the year. The loss of Stepan probably primarily benefits J.T. Miller, who now appears most likely to earn a spot on the opening night roster. The options on who would be the fourth center remain less certain however.