When Sean Couturier is in the lineup and healthy, he’s a game-changing player. A shutdown center who can match up against the brightest stars in the NHL and starve them offense, then also put up 70 point seasons. He shuts down stars, and produces points like a star himself.

The problem is: he won’t be in the lineup anytime soon.

There was thought to be a level of good news, when it was announced that Couturier was skating once again. We saw light at the end of the tunnel.

Today, that light was snuffed out. John Tortorella, in a pregame gathering with local media, said that Sean Couturier has stopped skating. And quite simply: he is not ready to be skating right now.

For those who have been following the Couturier story closely since Anthony SanFilippo released his original report, a disturbing pattern will emerge. A process that unfolds time and time again, which points to a horrific outcome in the future.

It goes like this:

Sean Couturier feels good and his back is healthy. He’s ready to start ramping up his workouts in preparation to return. He works out for a while. Then, amid his workouts, he feels discomfort. The discomfort stops him from working out. Then, after not working out for a while, he feels good again.

The cycle repeats from there.

And there is no end in sight.

At this point, it should be assumed that Sean Couturier’s season is over before it ever really began. That much is a no-brainer. But that isn’t the end of this.

In reality, it isn’t just Couturier’s season that’s in jeopardy. It’s his career.

At points throughout his career, there were comparisons to Patrice Bergeron. There were thoughts that he could be the next great two-way center. There were even some people thought he already was.

But now? The real debate is if he’ll ever play NHL hockey again.

For an elite player in the game and a deserving captain-in-waiting, it’s a stomach twisting turn of events.