"His thumb is still swollen and Niklas still has problems to properly grip his stick. He practices, but he cannot play. The doctors gave us no precise duration for his absence. In fact, Niklas has to decide whether he is ready to play or if the pain is bearable", tells the team manager the Journal de Jura.
The fact that they can not put a date to the return of one of their best forwards so far this season (twelve points in eleven games), is causing problems for Steinegger: "I could search for a fifth import-player, but the timing works against us. We would need time to find one, he would have to get used to the system and then Niklas returns... We don't have money to burn here."
Since Genève-Servette HC carries six import-players at the moment, Steinegger obviously knocked on Chris McSorley's door. He has yet to receive an answer. As for Lausanne HC and the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, who also have five import-players under contract, and could help out Biel, EHCB's team manager is pessimistic: "I strongly doubt that our direct competitiors will help us out."
