Fowler's gruesome injury requires emergency facial surgery!

The Anaheim Ducks have made it official: defenseman Cam Fowler will undergo surgery Friday for a facial fracture sustained when he was hit by a puck Monday night. The blue liner was forced to leave the Ducks’ game after a deflected shot from Nashville Predators forward Craig Smith struck him directly in the face. A bloodied Fowler was clearly in pain and exited the contest. 

Now, the full details of his injuries have been released, and they are quite gruesome. 

A CT scan revealed a complex fracture that involved the orbital bone, the team announced, adding that the length of his absence will be determined after the surgery.

Fowler has been a member of the Ducks since they drafted him in the first round back in the 2010 NHL Entry draft. He has tallied three goals and 10 points through 19 games this season and sports a plus-minus of plus-three. He posted a positive plus-minus in each of the past two seasons and finished the 2017-18 campaign with 32 points on 24 assists and eight goals.

He will be greatly missed, especially as the Ducks keep struggling early in the season. Anaheim has postseason expectations in the Western Conference after reaching the playoffs in each of the past six campaigns, but will need to turn things around quickly if they want to be a contender again this year. Hampus Lindholm, Jacob Larsson and Josh Manson will be given additional responsibility with Fowler's absence. 

Fowler is in the first year of an eight-year, $52 million contract extension signed last year.

We wish him well for his surgery on Friday.