Confirmed with Link: Zetterberg has back surgery to remove a part of disc, out around 8 weeks

BinCookin

Registered User
Feb 15, 2012
6,160
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London, ON
I would say with Datsyuk Semi-functional.

Franzen out with a concussion likely till end of the season.
Zetterberg out till end of the season.

That making the playoffs this year will be considered "beating" expectations.
 

Amrcn Ftbll

Quincey 4 prez 2k16
Jan 22, 2014
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Franzen is playing first game back if everything goes well. He may be back for the rest of the season this time.
 

Kronwalled55

Detroit vs. Everybody
Jan 7, 2011
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I would say with Datsyuk Semi-functional.

Franzen out with a concussion likely till end of the season.
Zetterberg out till end of the season.

That making the playoffs this year will be considered "beating" expectations.

Ansar Khan @AnsarKhanMLive

Franzen said he feels much better. Has skated twice. He thinks he'll be ready for first game after break next Wednesday.

This was February 19th.
 

Wolverine Wings

#thankyoubasedgod
Feb 27, 2012
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Back surgery is pretty finicky, anything dealing with the spine is tricky at best, but he is probably getting the best-of-the-best back surgeon and care so it should all go smooth.

Quite frankly I think they should just shut him down for the rest of the season. Unless this team is in position for the Cup, I just don't see it being worth the long-term risk for him to re-aggravate something of this nature.
 

AD1066

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Sep 30, 2011
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Quite frankly I think they should just shut him down for the rest of the season. Unless this team is in position for the Cup, I just don't see it being worth the long-term risk for him to re-aggravate something of this nature.

Agreed, I'm not a Cup-or-bust guy and I would hate to take a gamble on his long term health.
 

JPE123

Registered User
Jan 23, 2013
3,153
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Not trying to equate myself with Z but I had this surgery 7 years ago on my back to remove a herniated disc. Took a while to get back in the flow but honestly best I've felt in years. I should have had it done 20 years ago but played around with pain killers and immobilization for long periods. If the surgery went well I'd like to think Henk can come back next year and be just fine for a few more years. Get better Z
 

drw02

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Aug 10, 2013
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Back surgery is pretty finicky, anything dealing with the spine is tricky at best, but he is probably getting the best-of-the-best back surgeon and care so it should all go smooth.

Quite frankly I think they should just shut him down for the rest of the season. Unless this team is in position for the Cup, I just don't see it being worth the long-term risk for him to re-aggravate something of this nature.

After surgery it's not really an injury that can be re-aggravated per se. The portion of his disc that was pressing against a nerve has been removed, the pressure relieved, and it's not going to grow back. It was minimally invasive...heck they already stated he'll be able to walk out of the hospital. It was really more of a cleanup procedure than actual back surgery. I'm quite optimistic he'll return if we make the playoffs.
 

Claypool

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Jan 12, 2009
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He should have had this surgery awhile ago. Hopefully this team is not in the playoff picture when he's ready to come back and can sit out until training camp.
 

Pavels Dog

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Feb 18, 2013
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He should have had this surgery awhile ago. Hopefully this team is not in the playoff picture when he's ready to come back and can sit out until training camp.
Screw that. I hope the team goes on a great run and comfortably gets into the playoffs. Z can take it slow and get back to 100% and return as a huge reinforcement for the playoffs. I'm one of those crazy fools who think we could make some noise if we just get in. Especially if Weiss takes the absence of Z as his cue to start making himself useful.
 

Claypool

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Jan 12, 2009
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Screw that. I hope the team goes on a great run and comfortably gets into the playoffs. Z can take it slow and get back to 100% and return as a huge reinforcement for the playoffs. I'm one of those crazy fools who think we could make some noise if we just get in. Especially if Weiss takes the absence of Z as his cue to start making himself useful.

This team has problems handling the Florida Panthers. They're not beating the Penguins or Bruins.
 

odin1981

There can be only 1!
Mar 8, 2013
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This team has problems handling the Florida Panthers. They're not beating the Penguins or Bruins.

If Z is back for the first round and we make it in it wouldn't suprise me at all if we got first wild card position if we beat the bruins. We matchup well against them.
 

Flowah

Registered User
Nov 30, 2009
10,249
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This team has problems handling the Florida Panthers. They're not beating the Penguins or Bruins.

While I agree the Wings are a middle of the pack team and not truly contenders, they also have this weird habit of playing down to and up to their opponents. So yeah, we'll lose multiple games to the Panthers, but we'll also beat the Bruins, the Hawks. It's a weird team.

I think if Datsyuk is at 75% or better, Franzen is at 75% or better and they are both back at the restarting of the season, we have a decent chance at playoffs. I'd put it at about 45/55. Which is to say, I think it's slightly more that we'll not make it than we make it, but that it's still pretty close.

As long as the kids keep their performances up and don't regress, I think we might be okay. And no matter what, short of the Cup, do not rush Z. I want his back to be as healed as it will ever be. He's with the team for years to come and no low percentage short term gain is worth ruining him over his remaining tenure.
 

silkyjohnson50

Registered User
Jan 10, 2007
11,301
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This is good news to me. They knew exactly what it was and were able to fix it. The idea of a piece of disc getting lodged in your nerve sounds like an utter nightmare though. Must have felt like having a knife stuck in his back.

And yes I remember the Stuart cross checks in 07 with Calgary. They weren't like overly viscous or anything, but he was already dealing with the back so I wanted somebody to pound Stuart. But at the same time it made me want him on our team the very next trade deadline (along with Fedorov; was able to get 1 of 2.)
 

sarcastro

Registered User
Jul 28, 2005
13,059
1
Hopefully this is good news for Z's long-term health, but it's certainly not good for their chances this season.

Last year I thought they'd be better off missing the playoffs and hoping to win the lottery, because I didn't think they could avoid utter humiliation in the playoffs. Clearly I was wrong.

This year, if Z is going to be out or barely returning from major back surgery, Datsyuk is on a gimpy knee, Franzen is going to be dealing with post-concussion symptoms, and the defense is going to look as bad as it has looked much of the season, well, I might have to say that the playoffs won't do them any good this year. And this year I might be right. The kids are good but they're probably not quite ready for playoff greatness and there is still too much dead wood up front and on D.
 

Sadekuuro

Registered User
Aug 23, 2005
6,763
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Cascadia
Stuart whaling on him was a factor, but he had already had back issues by then. It didn't start there.

In 1994 Steve Yzerman had a herniated disk removed from his neck and two vertebrae fused together. Afterwards he went on to play in 11 more NHL seasons, amassing 699 games, 633 pts, 4 Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy, Selke Trophy, Masterson Trophy all while being the Captain of the most successful franchise in the NHL over that time period.

I think it can be done.

If only Stevie had actually won four Stanley Cups in that time.
 

Amrcn Ftbll

Quincey 4 prez 2k16
Jan 22, 2014
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Screw this. I hope we make a long run in the playoffs and win 16 games at the least.

It's been a really rough season so far. Everyone hopes we can go that far but realistically I'd be happy enough to even make it into the playoffs and ecstatic to make it into the second round.

Hopefully with hank out the team will have even more motivation to go farther for him, and to prove that they can do it without him there. If howard and franzen can be consistent and datsyuk stays healthy we've got a shot. Hoping we don't make the playoffs/thinking we should tank is shameful and goes against the entire recent history of the organization and is an awful mindset for fans to have.
 

dtones520

Registered User
Jun 10, 2008
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Midland, MI
Hopefully this is good news for Z's long-term health, but it's certainly not good for their chances this season.

Last year I thought they'd be better off missing the playoffs and hoping to win the lottery, because I didn't think they could avoid utter humiliation in the playoffs. Clearly I was wrong.

This year, if Z is going to be out or barely returning from major back surgery, Datsyuk is on a gimpy knee, Franzen is going to be dealing with post-concussion symptoms, and the defense is going to look as bad as it has looked much of the season, well, I might have to say that the playoffs won't do them any good this year. And this year I might be right. The kids are good but they're probably not quite ready for playoff greatness and there is still too much dead wood up front and on D.

Problem with blowing it up this year is, who do we have that other teams would want that we aren't willing to part with? By that I mean, guys like Franzen and Weiss have contracts other teams likely don't take on and have injury concerns. Are we willing to part with any of our young talent? Maybe Jurco or one of our young wingers. What about a Helm or Abdelkader? I don't think we are ready to give up those guys, as I don't see us in a long rebuild mode.

So really, the only guy I can see being traded that gets us anything worth while in a trade is Alfredsson and I'm not sure he would want to leave after uprooting his family to come here. So, maybe the best option is try and make the playoffs, keep giving our young talent experience and give them the experience of a playoff push and if they get in, we get a huge boost getting Z back and make a bit of a run.
 

sarcastro

Registered User
Jul 28, 2005
13,059
1
Problem with blowing it up this year is, who do we have that other teams would want that we aren't willing to part with? By that I mean, guys like Franzen and Weiss have contracts other teams likely don't take on and have injury concerns. Are we willing to part with any of our young talent? Maybe Jurco or one of our young wingers. What about a Helm or Abdelkader? I don't think we are ready to give up those guys, as I don't see us in a long rebuild mode.

So really, the only guy I can see being traded that gets us anything worth while in a trade is Alfredsson and I'm not sure he would want to leave after uprooting his family to come here. So, maybe the best option is try and make the playoffs, keep giving our young talent experience and give them the experience of a playoff push and if they get in, we get a huge boost getting Z back and make a bit of a run.

There's nothing to blow up, really, but I hope they don't give up a boatload for Vanek or someone similar. I'd love to see Vanek here long-term, but unless they give him Crosby money it's not going to happen, which means it's not going to happen. The price for Vanek is going to be something like Jurco, Sproul, and multiple high picks. Can't do it. Some other fool team will bite, though.

Wouldn't mind seeing them try to make a longer-term defensive pickup like the Blues did with Bouwmeester. They tried to do it with Q, but didn't realize how terrible he is. No high-priced rentals though.
 

JmanWingsFan

Your average Jman
Aug 18, 2011
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There's nothing to blow up, really, but I hope they don't give up a boatload for Vanek or someone similar. I'd love to see Vanek here long-term, but unless they give him Crosby money it's not going to happen, which means it's not going to happen. The price for Vanek is going to be something like Jurco, Sproul, and multiple high picks. Can't do it. Some other fool team will bite, though.

Wouldn't mind seeing them try to make a longer-term defensive pickup like the Blues did with Bouwmeester. They tried to do it with Q, but didn't realize how terrible he is. No high-priced rentals though.

Rentals, especially of the "I'm a freaking good player who's gonna make bank on free agency" variety, tend to not return much on the trade market. Why is this? Well, simply because the risk of losing said player to free agency is not enough to give up Jurco, Sproul, and multiple high picks for LESS THAN HALF A SEASON OF A SINGLE ASSET.

Cripes, Vanek only netted a first rounder and Matt Moulson. Why the heck is he going to return MORE this time with fewer days of team control? We're talking Garth freaking Snow for pete's sake. You're really overestimating what Vanek is going to land, especially considering how a lot of teams are up against the cap, which is why the Red Wings won't land him. It has nothing to do with the cost.
 

Lord Stan 2020

Elite fan
Jun 29, 2013
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two thoughts a totally healthy Henrik is scary to me to other teams. Hockey players are not normal human beings. Elite hockey players even more so.

I personally hope they shut him down this year. Give him the long rest let him come back next year.

We can be so much of a better team and organization next year to be honest. Get rid of the dead weight add a couple guys and make a true cup run. Hope howard has a bounce back season etc..

I will accept Z coming back this year but I wouldnt push for it personally if was the organization. This will give the core a chance to mesh the kids to learn that much more etc.
 

Matte99

Registered User
May 23, 2010
1,298
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Stockholm
Good thing that he's finally getting surgery on his back, I guess. Seems to have needed it for a while now.

Is the surgery more to fix the injury he got in Sochi or will it possibly correct the back issues he's been having for years? Hopefully the latter.

The thing is, he woke up the day after the first game with this pain. He felt "normal" after the game the day before. (normal for someone with back problems isn't the same as normal for "normal people".

So maybe it was the flight in combination with something else... it wasnt an ingame injury as much as i understand.
 

Shoalzie

Trust me!
May 16, 2003
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I wouldn't consider Franzen as a savior until he can play more than one game. Hank leaving the lineup should benefit a guy like Weiss as he comes back. Datsyuk looked good in the Olympics but can he hold up for the home stretch. I'm cautiously optimistic about the end of this season but my confidence level drops if Datsyuk and Franzen can't stay on the ice and if Weiss continues to struggle. The pressure is on Howard, Kronwall and the kids up front because we don't know what they'll get out of the veteran forwards.
 

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