Coyotes' Andrew Ladd out four to six weeks with lower-body injury

The Arizona Coyotes will be without Andrew Ladd for more than a month. The veteran forward has been ruled out for four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. Ladd played just 1:13 on Sunday before exiting after a collision with Dallas Stars forward Luke Glendening.

Ladd, 36, is just eight games away from reaching 1,000 for his career after finding his way back into the NHL with the Coyotes this season. The two-time Stanley Cup winner has six goals and nine points through 42 games, averaging fewer than 14 minutes a night. That’s better than being stuck in the minor leagues or not playing at all as he has for most of the past two seasons with the New York Islanders, where he suited up for just four NHL games since the start of 2019-20. Now facing a major injury, the veteran must go through a long recovery period once again.

Importantly, something like this could have an effect on a draft pick for the Coyotes. Should Ladd not play in 2022-23 — he’s still under contract for one more year at a $5.5M cap hit — but spend it on something like long-term injured reserve instead of retiring, the Coyotes would receive a 2023 third-round pick from the Islanders. That pick is not transferred if he plays a single professional game in 2022-23 on his current deal or decides to retire at any point before the 2022-23 season concludes. Basically, if the Coyotes are stuck paying him while on LTIR, they get an extra draft pick.

While a four- to six-week timeline shouldn’t affect next season, all injuries for players like Ladd come with at least some risk of long-term effects. It’s been a long, physical career for the big forward, who traveled through Carolina, Chicago, Atlanta, Winnipeg and New York before arriving in Arizona this season.

With him out of the lineup, the Coyotes should have Nick Ritchie added in short order after receiving him from the Toronto Maple Leafs a few days ago. Ritchie has arrived in Arizona according to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports but won’t practice Tuesday as he is still sorting through immigration issues.