Norris to wear non-contact yellow jersey to start Sens camp
Published
Ottawa Senators centre Josh Norris will be wearing a yellow jersey at the start of training camp, general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters at the team's season-opening media availability on Wednesday.
According to Dorion, Norris "tweaked something" during last week's captain's skate in Ottawa and will have the non-contact jersey as a precaution. He added that Norris will be able to "participate fully" and head coach D.J. Smith added if the regular season were to start in a few days, he would be available to play.
Norris was sidelined for most of last season after having shoulder surgery in January. He finished the 2022-23 season with two goals and three points in eight games.
He had a career year in 2021-22, posting 35 goals and 55 points in 66 games.
Selected 19th overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2017, Norris has 54 goals and 93 points in 133 career games, all with the Senators.
Norris is in the second season of an eight-year, $63 million contract signed with the Senators in the off-season. He carries a cap hit of $7.95 million through the 2029-30 season.
"They need to get Josh Norris back as quickly as possible"
"I think it's a huge red flag," Postmedia Senators reporter Bruce Garrioch said on TSN.ca's Senators report on Wednesday. "All of a sudden, Josh Norris isn't going to take contact after playing only eight games last year - to me, that's a huge area of concern going into this camp.
"It raids at their depth already down the middle. The Senators have been talking about being a playoff team - to get there, they need to have their top three centres. I think they've only had them for 25 games over the last three seasons. They need to get Josh Norris back as quickly as possible. I hope it is, as Pierre Dorion says, precautionary and that Norris will be fine."