Updated at 12:16 AM: Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill spoke with the media after the Wings’ 1-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday, and I listened in on 97.1 the Ticket…to rather disturbingly hear Blashill tell the media that Mike Green’s neck injury was a long-term issue dating back to last year, which could flare up with the “wrong type of hit.”
According to Blashill, the Red Wings had hoped that Green would be able to play through the injury through the balance of the season, but he was definitely going to need surgery (the same doctor that performed the discectomy on Henrik Zetterberg will perform a similar procedure on Green), and that’s why he wasn’t traded.
Also:
#RedWings Blashill said they’ll use their final @griffinshockey call-up on a defenseman, with Green out rest of the season. Didn’t say who and didn’t know exactly when. He said Howard will start Saturday at @MapleLeafs
— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) March 23, 2018
blashill says #RedWings will call up defenseman from GR.
did not say whom.
howard starts in turrana.
— gregg krupa (@greggkrupa) March 23, 2018
Who would you prefer to see the Wings recall, Joe Hicketts or Filip Hronek? I’m guessing Hicketts will come as the Griffins kind of need Hronek’s offense to make the playoffs.
Also, no surprise here:
#RedWings Blashill on whether Coreau will get more starts: “We’ll take that on a game by game basis. Jimmy Howard will play in Toronto.”
— Dana Wakiji (@Dwakiji) March 23, 2018
Update: the Free Press’s Helene St. James took note of Blashill’s remarks:
Green, 32, missed seven games from Feb. 17-28. The injury appeared at a time the Wings had hoped to flip the pending unrestricted free agent for draft picks. The Wings disclosed the details of Green’s injury to interested teams, who were wary as Green dealt with the same injury last season.
“This dates back to a year ago,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “He’s played through it. We knew at some point this was inevitable. We were hoping he was going to be able to get through it. There were different times throughout the year where if he took the wrong hit, it created the symptoms.
“I know there are some wondering why Green wasn’t traded – well, this is why. Because teams knew that if he took the wrong hit, he might be out.”
several thoughts:
Why the hell didn’t kenny move Green as soon as he had an offer this season, if the condition dated back to last year? See Cole, Erik.
Someone should tell that idiot Blashill that his fate is sealed (stay or go), so that he can do the correct long term coaching…play kids, lose close, no loser points.
This org needs to get its collective head out of its a** and do what is best for the Red Wings 3,4,or 5 years down the road, and that is not “trying” to win games down the home stretch. This season was over in December.
Does it matter who gets the call up? They will only play 6-8 minutes a game. Unless its close, or the make a mistake, or its the third period; then they will ride the pine. I guess thats a long way of saying I hope its Russo, since we already know that he’s not quite NHL caliber.
Why would they play Green when he has a spinal injury? Could it be that this is more about saving the jobs of the GM and the coach at the expense of the player’s health and wellness.
It did seem to defy common sense to keep playing Green,
given where the Wings already stood when he re-injured his neck.
I wonder now how much Ken Holland was blowing smoke when he apparently said there was at least one team interested (Edmonton) early in the season, but he wasn’t ready to trade Green, yet. (Of course you don’t advertise his vulnerability to re-injury.)
Was it the kind of injury that would have come up in any medical exam if the Oilers did due diligence? I’ve sometimes wondered how much a team trading a player has to disclose. And how widely known some players’ injuries are. Think of Nathan Horton and David Clarkson. Those two guys were basically ruined physically for good before or shortly after signing with their new teams.
In any case, I’m glad Green is getting this fixed and hope he’ll come back healthy in hockey and most importantly his life beyond.
This is really depressing that a Classy Wings organiztion might jeopordize a players future , to try and make the playoffs, only 1 Rd for $$.
I heard Hicketts was called up, he should have declined as he will have more ice time, better coaching with the Griffins.
I have no idea whether Coreau haa any promise as an NHL Goalie. Blashill downright lied when he said Coreau would get a chance to show what he has, BS!! Svech arguably had his best game then played vs Caps with about 7 mins TOI.
Lucky Green is a pretty good guy, otherwise the NHLPA would have KH by the balls.
Losing can cause panic but KH/JB seemed to have panicked to hide the fact that they were going to try and make the playoffs and protect their jobs, makes me embarrassed to be Wings fan.
In the future they will cover up their actions. I just want to be a Wings Fan, all the KH, JB and even invisible C Illitch can do what they want. Oddly the 10 game losing streak popped up, as a player, would you want to give your all for this group that appears to do whatever is best for them.
As usual their will be no hard evidence, just more BS
I’d like to hear what the Wings’ medical team had to say about playing Green with this spinal injury—JB admitted it could flare up with the ‘wrong kind’ of hit. Could the ‘wrong kind’ have resulted in long-term debilitating injury?
Specifically, what was the risk level to having high quality of life (regardless of hockey future!)?
Makes me wonder what type of ethical standards are in-place with KH/JB leading our team.
Uhhhhhh…….what about Mike Green? I’d like to think if he didn’t want to risk it, he wouldn’t HAVE to.
One things that’s weird to me, is, right before and even after the trade deadline, Holland and others referred to the injury like it was just some tweak and kept underestimating the number of days before Green returned. Then he reaggravated once more in practice, and suddenly he’s scheduled for major surgery to his spinal column?
Did Holland get the idea from being fleeced in the Erik Cole trade that maybe he could move a player chronically at risk of serious injury for a good return? Given the seriousness of the underlying injury and the fact it was aggravated by a relatively normal hit, I’m surprised there were even negotiations leading up to the deadline.
I just have a gut feeling that the neck injury got worse between the hit Green took in Tampa Bay and the deadline, because the Wings went from, “Oh, he suffered a neck injury but he’ll be back in a day or two” to, “Oh shit, he’s gonna be out for two weeks” to, “Oh shit, we can’t trade this guy because he’s too injured” to, “The doctor that operated on Henrik Zetterberg’s back is going to fix Green’s herniated disc.”
Something must have happened when he got hit in Tampa, and it must have aggravated the herniation to the point that he eventually couldn’t play through it.
Thanks George, sounds plausible.
I guess it’s human nature sometimes with some injuries
to muddle through and hope for the best, until you realize
you can’t and have to shut down.
If this whole issue began on a hit or something last season, I don’t
recall when it was and what could have caused it.