The Calgary Flames lost defenseman Kevin Bahl midway through Tuesday’s game in Dallas after he suffered a lower-body injury and did not return. The team said Bahl would not come back after he delivered a routine check on Thomas Harley, caught a bad edge on his right leg and immediately favored his knee.
Bahl, 6-foot-6, has been one of Calgary’s most durable players this season, appearing in 75 games and missing just one. He leads all Flames skaters with 22:13 of ice time per night and has chipped in four goals and 18 points, while also posting a 46.8% corsi for at five-on-five. Calgary signed him to a long-term extension last June, a move that reflected how much it has relied on him as a top-pairing minute-eater.
The timing matters because the Flames are trying to keep a key defender available while they sit in the basement and look past this season. Calgary had hoped Bahl could be ready for Thursday’s game in Colorado, but the injury leaves his status unsettled and puts the focus on whether he can get back to full health for the stretch ahead.
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For Calgary, the loss is bigger than one night in Dallas. Bahl has given the team steady minutes, and a player who has handled that workload this cleanly all season is not easy to replace.
