Emilie Haavi out at least a month with broken jaw

UPDATED to reflect the correct length of Haavi’s recovery.

It hasn’t exactly been the Breakers’ preseason to stay health. Breakers forward Emilie Haavi is out for four to six weeks with a broken jaw. Haavi picked up the injury at practice last week Friday.

“It’s a blow to lose Emilie especially as she was just settling in, getting fitter and stronger,” said Matt Beard via team press release.

Haavi now temporarily returns to Norway. She and goalkeeper Libby Stout are both out for the start of the Breakers season; Stout has been sidelined, also for six weeks, with an ankle injury. Though the Breakers press release says Haavi intends to return to Boston while her injury is still healing, it’s uncertain how this injury will interact with her timeline for the Euros. Euros begin July 16, and Norway will certainly want its players back in country at the very least at the beginning of July. If Haavi is ready to start training again mid-May, that could give her a solid month with the Breakers. But if her injury takes any longer to heal and/or Norway wants its players in camp for a longer period before the start of Euros (completely reasonable given its the Euros), that may significantly cut down on any possible time Haavi has with Boston.

What does this mean for the Breakers roster? Almost certainly they’ll have to temporarily fill in the hole, whether with an amateur callup or perhaps a short-term player signing. For goalkeepers, at least Boston can look to their recent draft pick Sammy Jo Prudhomme as a backup for Abby Smith. For Haavi, perhaps Beard will turn to draftee Hayley Dowd. It’s a shame the team has to deal with roster complications like this from the jump; if anyone deserves to start with a clean slate in 2017, it’s Boston.