(Article) Ilya Mikheyev's recovery may keep him out of pre-season games

[RWJC]

Canucks: Ilya Mikheyev's recovery may keep him out of pre-season games

 

Ilya Mikheyev is close to being fully recovered from knee surgery, but whether he plays in any pre-season games is a question mark.

 

Mikheyev’s agent Dan Milstein told Postmedia Wednesday his client is likely still three to four weeks away from being 100 per cent again.

 

Asked whether that means Mikheyev would miss pre-season games, Milstein played cautious.

 

“He could be ready, but why risk in pre-season,” he said.

 

“Maybe play the final two games.”

 

Mikheyev is back on the ice, at least, and has been skating in the Vancouver area, though he hasn’t yet been spotted with this teammates at the player-organized skates that have taken place the last two days at the University of B.C. under the direction of Canucks skills coach Yogi Svejkovsky.

 

Mikheyev tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the Canucks’ first pre-season game nearly a year ago, but after consulting with doctors was able to recover well enough to press on and play in the regular season, with trainers taping his knee heavily before putting on a brace to support the damaged structure of his knee.

 

Still, he wasn’t at 100 per cent and with the Canucks’ playoffs hopes dashed by the end of January, the player and the team decided it was time for surgery.

He had a procedure Feb. 2 and at the time, the team and Milstein both said it would take eight months for him to be fully recovered, around Oct. 2. But they also indicated they hoped he would be fully recovered a couple weeks before that, in time for the opening of training camp.

 

In other words, his recovery is still in the range that was expected — but with the Canucks only playing six pre-season games this year, there’s not a lot of leeway to get a key winger into some exhibition action ahead of what everyone knows will be a crucial opening to the season.

 

The Canucks play four pre-season games between Sept. 24 and 30, then two more Oct. 4 and 6, before their season opener at home on Oct. 11.

Those latter two games do come after the full eight-month window ends.

 

Every player will tell you how important pre-season games are in preparing for the regular season, so there will be plenty of attention paid on whether Mikheyev is fully recovered in time to play in a pre-season game or two.

For his part, Milstein has been playing it cool all along.

 

Earlier on Wednesday, CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal said he wasn’t sure Mikheyev would be ready for games, though he expected the winger would be ready to take part in training camp.

 

“Milstein’s preaching patience with Mikheyev, he’ll be at training camp,” Dhaliwal said.

 

Last week, Milstein told the Sekeres and Price show that he’d been telling his client that the NHL season is a marathon, not a sprint.

 

“It’s not about the pre-season, it’s about the entire 82 games and then some,” Milstein said on Aug. 29, making it clear the focus for him is the start of the regular season, 

 

Mikheyev had 13 goals and 15 assists in 46 games for Vancouver last season, his first with the Canucks after signing a four-year, $15 million deal.

 

pjohnston@postmedia.com

 

[Gawdzukes]

Waited way too long. Could have been ready months ago.

[Odd.]

No sense in rushing him. Let him miss a week or two of the regular season, if it means he’s 100% and able to play better down the road where it matters (what Milstein meant).

Edited September 7, 2023 by Odd.

[CanuckleHorse]

I would love for him to miss the second of back to backs for maybe the first 2 or 3 just to give him that more time to be fully recovered.

[DownUndaCanuck]

Voiced this in the other thread but another mess up by our medical team. There was absolutely no reason for him playing extra games last season, the medical staff had timed it so that he would be able to start the next season but of course now he's going to miss some pre-season and not be up to speed for game 1 (if he even makes that). Stupid timing on our behalf when we really didn't need to.

[Elias Pettersson]

Wasn't he injured in the first pre-season game last year?  He shouldn't play any pre-season games until he is 100%...

[CRAZY_4_NAZZY]

Roussel when he tore his ACL said in interview that despite being able to recover and comeback to play, he still had trust issues with his knee. He shared how parts of his leg muscles also shrunk due to the lack of activity in the initial weeks of recovery and had to build the muscle mass back up again.

 

I tore my MCL 2 years ago, and it took almost 18 months before my knee began to feel normal despite it healed within 6 months. Its taken me a long time to develop the muscle mass again in the quads, calves, and hamstring back to what it was before and I still at times am weary about my knee strength. I can only imagine how Ilya's knee and leg feels. He may be "recovered" in the sense the knee is good functioning again by Oct 2, but I feel it will take time for him feel at his very best again. May be a slow start for him and then see him take off midway into the season.

[Gurn]

There were many people concerned that Mikheyev played so long, before shutting down and going for surgery.

 

Looks like they were right, to be concerned.

 

Here we go again.

Another player, not quite ready, to begin another season.

 

Team is consistently slow learning.

 

[Ghostsof1915]

1 hour ago, Gurn said:

There were many people concerned that Mikheyev played so long, before shutting down and going for surgery.

 

Looks like they were right, to be concerned.

 

Here we go again.

Another player, not quite ready, to begin another season.

 

Team is consistently slow learning.

 

Our doctors and trainers need to be transparent with management and shut players down before they do real damage to themselves playing hurt. You love the never say die attitude. But there are times if you're not ready to go, and worse you could aggravate the injury.

[Warhippy]

JUst gonna ask because I know it has been thought but unsure if voiced.

 

How much of the last decade + can be attributed to bad medical teams/advice and care for our players vs the coaching staff needing to win, the GM needing to appear to want to win or an owner that won't keep their nose out of the affairs of the team?

 

I mean let's be honest.  This goes all the way back to 2010/2011.  The hernias, the hip and back issues, the constant bumps and bruises that keep cropping up with the same players before they get shut down.

 

How can a medical team be that inept for that long and still keep their jobs?  This kinda screams interference though above and beyond the medical team as it was.

[Gawdzukes]

11 hours ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

Voiced this in the other thread but another mess up by our medical team. There was absolutely no reason for him playing extra games last season, the medical staff had timed it so that he would be able to start the next season but of course now he's going to miss some pre-season and not be up to speed for game 1 (if he even makes that). Stupid timing on our behalf when we really didn't need to.

Our team is so incredibly dumb like that. It's as if these meatheads thought we were still competing for something in January so they timed it to the day for his recovery. That's what that article was saying when it said be ruthless for once. Although this is just common sense. Wasn't he hurt in the first game? Just mind numbingly stupid, Ah, to be a Canucks fan.

Edited September 7, 2023 by Gawdzukes

[Dr. Crossbar]

These types of knee injuries are starting to become known to require more time to heal than expected. 

 

If they want to give him a better shot at not reinjuring the knee because of rushing back too quickly, and making sure it heals even more, bring him along slowly - not every game - between now and the new year and manage his minutes or keep him out until the new year. Have him fully healthy for an important push after Christmas.

[ilduce39]

Mikheyev said himself that it was his decision to play through half the season and shut himself down at a time when he’d be about ready to start the year. 
 

I’m glad he and the team are taking it slow to start the season, too.  If they misjudged by a few weeks by all means he should take his time.  Sounds like he can still practice, as the knee is “healthy” it’s all the surrounding muscles and ligaments that need to be strengthened and he needs to regain confidence in the knee.

[Ghostsof1915]

Will this help the salary cap? Or not at all?

[Citizen Erased]

8 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

Will this help the salary cap? Or not at all?

I’m not sure. It depends. Does he start the season on LTIR? How long will he be out for? Then there is the Pearson factor. It looks like he’s good to go. 

[DeNiro]

2 hours ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

Our doctors and trainers need to be transparent with management and shut players down before they do real damage to themselves playing hurt. You love the never say die attitude. But there are times if you're not ready to go, and worse you could aggravate the injury.

It’s about having professionals with integrity in every position.

 

Im not sure that’s been the case over the last decade…

[OldFaithfulCap]

He's never played more than 54 games, bit of a worry that he'll ever play a full season.

Edited September 7, 2023 by OldFaithfulCap
c

[J-Dizzle]

1 hour ago, DeNiro said:

It’s about having professionals with integrity in every position.

 

Im not sure that’s been the case over the last decade…

Not disagreeing, but I wonder if sometimes it's less of an 'integrity' issue and more of a 'mentality' issue... we're not that far removed from playing through anything and everything being considered a sign of toughness.

[Hairy Kneel]

LTIR him

Those things don't always heal as planned. I don't want a wonky slow Mik. Full of doubt. Bring him back for the playoffs. Get a power forward or train one. We could use some beef up front in case PDG doesn't work out. Although PDG does have the size but we need a  power forward with hands.

[Gurn]

This 'not quite ready' news can really mess the team's cap up.

 

They either

a- make their line up as if Mikheyev was healthy and on the team.

b- make sure they can trade or send down about $3 mill worth of contracts as soon as Ilya is healthy.

 

Looks hard to send down enough money, without having a 21 player roster.

 

I went to cap friendly and started a line up with 35 players, who played at some point last year,- and the team starts out $12.6 mil over the cap.

fairly easy to trim 10 guys of the team, but the last 2, to get to 23 players, then another batch to make room for both Mikheyev and Pearson.    --- gets tough to do.

 

 

Can anyone remember the last time the Canucks were fully healthy to begin a season?