Edmonton Oilers confirm the worst on injury to Connor Clattenburg

Clattenburg left a recent AHL game after a fight in the first period, and didn't return to the game. Alarm bells were ringing when he didn't make the return and was visibly shaking out his hand, and now, a long term injury has been confirmed.

According to new information from Condors reporters, the team expects Clattenburg to miss «an extended period of time».

Right after a fight, the immediate concern for Clattenburg will be a broken bone in the hand. That would set him back for a minimum of 6 weeks to fully heal and rehabilitate the hand.

It's incredibly undertaker to see Clattenburg sidelined again, just after returning from an eye-injury sustained while he was in the NHL. He only got a few games back in with the Condors before going down with injury again.

Some Oilers insiders suggested Clattenburg was just being sent down to the AHL as a conditioning stint before being called back up to Edmonton. Unfortunately, this injury may put an end to things.

Given Clattenburg's crash-and-bang style of play, injuries have been a concern for him. He plays like a loose rocket at all times, and while it's great for making an impact from the 4th line, he is more prone to getting hurt.

He needs to find a way to walk the line to keep his style of play, but protect himself from injury more.

Hopefully Clattenburg can return to the lineup soon, and can continue to make a good impression to earn another call up to the Oilers - maybe even in the playoffs.

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