There was a noticeable wince as soon as I mentioned Andrew Ladd's name. The concern for his former captain was written all over Paul Maurice's face.
Ladd, you may have heard, won't be in the lineup Thursday night when his New York Islanders take on the Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place. Ladd won't be skating any time soon, for that matter. The veteran winger tore an ACL on Sunday and is done for the season. He's facing at least five months of recovery, and, at 33, it's fair to wonder what this means for the future of a player who was already showing major signs of decline.