Gonchar injured in first pre-season game.

A couple seasons ago, hearing that Sergei Gonchar was injured would have made some fans happy. Now, word of Gonchar's shoulder injury suffered in Saturday's preseason game against Tamp Bay is bad news. I was never one of those people who booed Gonchar and I knew then that he would fill the role that he has since filled. Gonchar is one of the elite defensemen in the league and it is a mystery as to why he was not a candidate for the Norris Trophy last season. Now, I hope Gonchar makes the quickest recovery because he is an asset to this team. Our power play would suffer a great deal if he were out for an extended period of time, he is one of the best in the league at what he does. Now, down both Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar, this is a time for other defensemen to step up and fill the roles. Good thing we kept Darryl Sydor!