If Andy Sutton‘s five-game suspension earlier this season didn’t teach him, what’s coming up next certainly will.
Sutton received that suspension earlier this season for a hit on Colorado rookie Gabriel Landeskog. He’ll be the first repeat offender since Brendan Shanahan took over, and he’ll almost certainly be made an example of.
The hit took place in the third period of Wednesday’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Sutton left his feet in boarding Hurricane forward Alexei Ponikarovsky and targeted his head. How Sutton avoided at least a five-minute major for boarding is beyond me, if not a game misconduct as well.
The two minutes that Sutton did receive for the call were the minor part of what he is facing now. He’s been suspended indefinitely by Shanahan, pending a hearing which is set to take place on Saturday.
Face-to-face hearings typically merit at least a five-game suspension, which Sutton has already received. This one could end up costing him twice as many games, as well as a pretty penny as far as his salary goes. Shanahan already noted numerous incidents throughout Sutton’s career.
But will play into the decision to hit Sutton with a “Shanaban” is the hit on Landeskog earlier this season. As I said, he’s Shanahan’s first repeat offender and Sutton will certainly have to pay.
Sutton was acquired by the Oilers this past summer, in a trade that sent Andrew Cogliano to Anaheim. In a blue line already short on depth, the Oilers will once again press on without Sutton in the lineup.
For how many games they’ll be without him, however, remains to be seen. It’s very likely that Sutton could get eight games, which would tie him for the longest suspension under Brendan Shanahan this season, after James Wisniewski was hit with eight games back at the end of September.
Eight games is a minimum, though. I’d expect Sutton could get between eight and 10 for the hit, mostly thanks to his status as a repeat offender. Either way, we’ll know on Saturday.
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