‘It’s extremely sad’: Preds’ Wilson still out with upper-body injury

Nashville Predators center and leading scorer Colin Wilson, out since March 9 with an upper-body injury, indicated there is no timeline for his return.

Wilson told The Tennessean on Friday: “Things are getting better,” but followed that up with: “Right now I don’t know how long I’m going to be out.

“While I’m sitting here, and it’s extremely sad, not playing and watching everybody practice, I think it’s at least nice to know I was getting on a roll,” said Wilson.

“I was feeling good about my game before then and I think I was making improvements where I needed to offensively.”

Wilson, 23, leads the Predators in scoring with 19 points in 25 games.

The Predators could use his offensive abilities right now. Not only are they 12th in the Western Conference standings as of Friday afternoon – keep in mind, they’re only two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot – but they’re 27th in the NHL in scoring, with 2.36 goals-for per game.

The Predators on Friday announced that forward Craig Smith was sent to Milwaukee in the American Hockey League for a conditioning assignment. Smith, 23, had three goals and nine points in 30 games this season with Nashville. He was also a minus-11.

He will remain on the Predators’ active roster during his conditioning assignment, the club said in its statement.