The Senators announced Tuesday that Tim Stuetzle, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, suffered a fracture and will undergo surgery.
“In consultation with doctors in Germany and with our own medical staff, it has been determined that Tim requires a surgical procedure to stabilize a fracture,” general manager Pierre Dorion said in a statement released by the team. “The procedure is scheduled to take place in Germany later this week and has an expected recovery time of six to eight weeks. Our medical staff will remain in regular contact with Tim and his doctors as he begins his recovery through to the point that he is medically cleared.”
According to the release, the injury was sustained during practice Monday with Adler Mannheim (DEL). The German team's release stated he injured his arm and will undergo surgery by a specialist on Wednesday. TSN's Brent Wallace and The Athletic's Hailey Salvian are both reporting that the fracture was to his hand, with Wallace disclosing that it was his left hand. Stuetzle shoots left so the impact on his shot and stick control should not be affected much.
Can confirm it’s a broken left hand for Stuetzle not his arm. https://t.co/fcbersDONh
— Brent Wallace (@tsn_wally) October 13, 2020
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The six-to-eight-week timeframe puts his return around the start of December, which is usually when world junior camps begin to assemble. This year's exact start date is still to be determined but the premier junior event will take place in a bubble in Edmonton. The timeframe also creeps close to the start of NHL training camps if the Jan. 1 target date of the new season is met.
At just 18, the talented forward was gearing up for his second season with the Eagles. He played in 41 games last season for the seven-time DEL champions, and, technically, the still-reigning champs after the 2020 postseason was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He scored seven goals and 27 assists in Germany's top professional league and ranked seventh on the team, being the youngest full-time player in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
For Germany at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, he scored nine points (two goals, seven assists) in eight games. The 2020 tournament marked the return of Germany at the top level since they were relegated to Division 1A in 2015. They avoided being relegated again by beating Kazakhstan twice.
Stuetzle's entrance to the Senators and the NHL was also a flashy one as Ottawa got Canadian legend Alex Trebek to announce his selection at third overall.