Carolina Hurricanes: Jeff Skinner Out with Upper-Body Injury

By Michael Smith

Raleigh, NC Feb. 17, 2013 – The Carolina Hurricanes will be without forward Jeff Skinner on Monday in Montreal, according to head coach Kirk Muller.

Skinner did not practice with the team on Sunday at Raleigh Center Ice, and Muller said the 20-year-old forward is sidelined with an upper-body injury.

Jeff Skinner – Carolina Hurricanes

“We’ll evaluate him when we get back on Tuesday,” Muller said.

Skinner practiced with the team in a limited skate Friday afternoon, and the Hurricanes had a scheduled off-day on Saturday. The team found out just this morning that Skinner, the team’s second-leading scorer with 14 points (7g, 7a) would be unable to make the trip to Montreal.

Skinner missed 16 games last season with a concussion. Muller was unsure if the third-year forward was suffering from any concussion-related symptoms.

Andreas Nodl skated in Skinner’s place on the second line in Saturday’s practice, but Muller said that’s not how the combinations will shake out on Monday. Already carrying an extra forward, the team has a few options, a recall from Charlotte still being one of them.

Joni Pitkanen and Tim Gleason did not practice with the team Sunday, as Muller noted Friday that the two would not make the trip to Montreal. They remain day-to-day with lower-body injuries.