Training camps and preseason games are underway for the 2014-15 season, and already there have been a bevy of high-profile injuries that have rocked the NHL. Here's a look at those and other big stories you might have missed this week: 1. Jordan Staal out 3-4 monthsHuge, huge blow for the Carolina Hurricanes, a team that was counting on 26-year-old center Jordan Staal to help lead the way for a bounce-back season. Staal got tangled up with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges in a preseason game, suffering a broken fibula in his right leg. The Canes announced he will undergo surgery Friday and will miss three to four months. Story » ***** 2. Datsyuk injures shoulderYou'd think Detroit's injury-ravaged lineup last season was a fluke, right? Well, things are not looking so rosy in Motor City, as star player Pavel Datsyuk suffered a separated shoulder in a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is expected to be out for a month. Detroit's top prospect, Anthony Mantha, also was sidelined earlier this month with a broken leg. Story » ***** 3. Predators agree to terms with EllisNashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis was one of a few key unrestricted free agents who had yet to sign with their respective clubs. That changed Thursday when the Preds locked up the 23-year-old to a five-year deal. Story » ***** 4. Stepan injured; Rangers' depth to be testedThis really seems to be the week of broken legs, no? New York Rangers forward Derek Stepan suffered a nondisplaced fracture to the fibula in a conditioning drill Wednesday and is expected to miss four to six weeks. The 24-year-old was slated to be the team's first-line center, and the club already had concerns about its depth down the middle. Story » ***** 5. Drouin sidelined with broken thumbThe Tampa Bay Lightning's top prospect, Jonathan Drouin, was expected by many to crack the team's roster out of camp this season. That still might happen, but not any time soon, as the 2013 first-round draft pick (third overall) suffered a slight fracture in his right thumb that should keep him out three to four weeks. Story »
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