| Detroit Free Press
Watch: Prospects talk being drafted by Detroit Red Wings
Jonatan Berggren, Jared McIsaac and Ryan O’Reilly on being drafted by Red Wings in 2018 NHL draft in Dallas on June 23.
Since being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2018, Jared McIsaac’s injuries have overshadowed his play. Just as he began playing this season in Finland, it was over.
Again.
The 20-year-old defenseman is considered a promising prospect, but that promise keeps being delayed. He lasted one shift this autumn, with HPK in Finland’s top league, before suffering an injury that necessitated a return to the Detroit area. The Wings announced Monday that McIsaac has undergone successfully surgery on his left shoulder.
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The recovery time is pegged at five-to-six months, essentially ruling McIsaac out for the season.
McIsaac underwent a similar procedure on his right shoulder before the 2019-20 season. He played only 25 games that season, but produced 17 points for Moncton in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He also won a gold medal with Canada at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, contributing four points in seven games.
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The Wings drafted McIsaac (6-foot-1, 192 pounds) at 36th overall in 2018, attracted by his strong skating and smart play and knack for making a good outlet pass. But his development has been hampered by trips the operating table, and now it looks like his best hope is being ready for the 2021-22 season.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.