At some point in the next week or two, Henrik Zetterberg will undergo a physical examination and the Detroit Red Wings will begin to get a much clearer picture into exactly how seriously the damage to their captain’s back is, and whether or not they should hold out any hope that he might play again.
“It doesn’t look promising,” Detroit GM Ken Holland admitted to Mlive.com.
Under the rules of the NHL CBA, it is mandatory that Zetterberg, as a player under contract, be given a physical to determine the state of his health. He can opt to that with the rest of the players on Sept. 3, but since it’s already been determined that Zetterberg won’t attend training camp, it’s more likely that he’ll opt to do it ahead of time.
“I think Sept. 8 is the day we worked it out for whatever veterans want to get their physicals done in advance,” Holland said. “The sooner the better with Zetterberg.
He’s got to see our team doctors, specifically Dr. (Doug) Plagens, to determine where he’s at, and then possibly at some point in time do we get him to see the doctor that performed the surgery on him in 2014 in New York (Dr. Frank Cammisa at the Hospital for Special Surgery).”
“If he’s not able to pass the physical, and I don’t see how he could pass the physical – he hasn’t been able to train – then we’re going to have to send him to a back specialist.
If it comes to that - and all signs at this stage point to that being the case - Zetterberg will get an updated MRI to take with him to back specialist.
Then we’ve got to see what the back specialist says,” Holland said. “If he says he just needs more time.”
And if he deciphers the need to be something more serious in nature?
“I think he can play later in the season, if the back specialists deem he needs more time, or he needs minor surgery,” Holland said. “Obviously, if it’s a major surgery, then he’s going to have to determine at this stage of his life does he want to take the risk of a major surgery?
“As you head into your 40s and 50s and 60s, you want to be healthy so you can do things and you’re not concerned about a lot of surgeries on an important part of your body. These are the unknowns. We’ll get the information in the next month and then we’ll determine a course of action.
“He hasn’t been able to train off ice consistently since early in 2018. Do they say he needs rehab, more rest? I don’t know if further back surgery is an option. We’ve got to wait for all the information.
“He’s 37, he’s had back surgery, he’s worked really hard year round the last 3-4 years to accomplish what he has accomplished to play games.
“I don’t expect to see him on the ice in Traverse City or playing preseason games. It’s a massive concern where Z is at with his career. He’s very discouraged.”
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