Ducks' Max Comtois undergoes hand surgery

The Anaheim Ducks have announced that Max Comtois will be out for the next six weeks after he underwent surgery Thursday on his right hand to remove a small bone. Comtois hasn’t played in more than a week, last suiting up against the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 11.

Despite being one of Anaheim’s brightest stars in 2020-21, Comtois has been nearly invisible this season. The 22-year-old forward registered just a single assist in 13 games before going down to injury, failing to score on any of his 19 shots. His minutes had been reduced, and even his physical play had seemed blunted compared to a season ago, when he recorded 33 points, 93 hits, and 40 penalty minutes in 55 games.

Now he’ll miss six weeks with hand surgery, hopefully, a procedure that can help him get back to the player he was last season. The Ducks, who dropped out of first place Thursday night when their winning streak was snapped, don’t desperately need that Comtois to contend for a playoff spot, but it would certainly help.

It will be interesting to see how the lineup shakes out when Comtois is ready to return. The Ducks already sent Benoit-Olivier Groulx to the minor leagues Friday after a few healthy scratches, and Mason McTavish will burn the first year of his entry-level contract with the next game he plays. Anaheim has enough young depth to allow Comtois to take his time, but he’ll have to work hard to re-establish himself as a top-nine option upon his return.