Cam Ward To Remain In Hospital

From Canes Now, Cam Ward will stay in the hospital an extra day for observation and to ensure there isn’t an infection.

Canes general manager Jim Rutherford said today that goaltender Cam Ward would remain at a Columbus, Ohio, hospital another day and that the team may look to trade or sign another goaltender.

Ward suffered a laceration of the left leg in the first period of the Canes’ 3-2 loss at Columbus on Saturday and was taken to Riverside Hospital.

“We’ll have to see how it goes,” Rutherford said today of Ward’s injury and recovery time. “It appears it will be a fairly long period of time.”

While this seems to be just another bump in a horrible road for the Canes this season, Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy says all is not lost:

Michael Leighton(notes) is a placeholder at best, so acquiring a veteran if Ward’s out for a lengthy period of time is imperative if this team’s going to contend for a playoff spot this season.

Yeah, we said it: A team 10 points out of the eight seed, mired in a 12-game winless streak, devastated by injuries and that’s looked simply terrible for most of the season can still contend in 2009-10. It’s a team in the seventh ring of hockey hell right now, but it’s also a team that uncorked a 13-1-2 streak back in February under Paul Maurice.