Arizona Coyotes forward Matias Maccelli will miss the next six weeks recovering from a lower-body injury, PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reported Monday.
Maccelli, 22, is currently second among all National Hockey League rookies with 22 points in 30 games this season. His 19 assists lead all freshman players in the NHL.
The 5’11” left fielder was injured in Arizona’s 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 23, playing less than three minutes in the first period before retiring.
The Coyotes originally selected Maccelli in the fourth round (98th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft. The product from Turku, Finland made his NHL debut with the Coyotes in 2021-22 after a spectacular rookie season in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners.
Maccelli could have been a top contender for the Calder Trophy before sustaining the injury, which is likely to be a major blow to his chances. With Maccelli and Liam O’Brien now injured, the Coyotes have just 10 healthy forwards on their NHL roster and should call up Tucson soon.
In his first 53 NHL games with the Coyotes, Maccelli had four goals and 28 points. Assuming he sticks to his current recovery schedule, Maccelli could likely return to the Coyotes’ roster during the NHL All-Star Game in early February.
The Coyotes will be back in action December 27 when they host the Colorado Avalanche at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona.
