Injury Report: Stolarz out indefinitely with meniscus tear; update: out "months" but not full season

[Magua]

I viewed Stolarz as my hope for the transitional G, taking over from one of Neuvirth or Elliott and being the one to displace by Sandstrom or Hart.

Yeah, I think we all hoped he would be that at least. Still could, it's not impossible, but he had a lot to prove this year. I was more talking about this idea we need to suddenly draft a goalie high because our goalie prospect pool is devastated, which doesn't make sense for umpteen reasons.

 

[Hiesenberg]

Stolarz will have to stay on the main roster until healthy right? so LTIR on Day 1?

Thankfully with us having a cushion Hextall won't have to screw with it.

 

[Curufinwe]

LTIR is only used when you go over the cap.

But as a player on a two-way contract who played fewer than 50 NHL games last season, Stolarz is eligible for SOIR. He played in only seven games, but was on the roster for approximately 60 days out of the 180 days in the 16-17 season, so I believe that means a third of his $725,000 cap hit will added to the Flyers cap hit.

What is the season opening injured reserve (SOIR)?
If a player who is on a two-way contract becomes disabled during training-camp or who reports to training-camp disabled as the result of a hockey related injury incurred during the off-season, they can be placed on season-opening injured reserve, to possibly obtain cap relief. It is notable that the SOIR equations are not the same as the daily rate equations in CBA 15.6, which is instead used to calculate the players daily salary (as opposed to cap hit).

Full Cap Hit
Players who are on a one-way contract, or players on a two-way contract who accrued 50 or more NHL games in the previous season count fully against the cap hit. Teams can opt to place these players on LTIR to obtain cap-relief (LTIR FAQ).

Discounted Cap Hit
Players on a two-way contract, who accrued 1-49 NHL games in the previous season, count against the teams cap hit; however, the reduced cap hit is calculated as follows:
Multiply the players NHL cap hit by the total accrued NHL days in the previous season, and divide by the total number of days in the previous season (Ex: 186 for 2014-15)

When a player is reactivated to the active roster, their cap hit reverts back to the full rate

Full cap relief
Players who are on a two-way contract, who did not accrue any NHL games in the previous season, can be placed on SOIR and do not count against their teams cap hit.

The Flyers got full cap relief for Alt last year because he played zero NHL games in 15-16.

 

[Hiesenberg]

LTIR is only used when you go over the cap.

But as a player on a two-way contract who played fewer than 50 NHL games last season, Stolarz is eligible for SOIR. He played in only seven games, but was on the roster for approximately 60 days out of the 180 days in the 16-17 season, so I believe that means a third of his $725,000 cap hit will added to the Flyers cap hit.



The Flyers got full cap relief for Alt last year because he played zero NHL games in 15-16.

Cool. Thanks. I know it's a little weird when you get hurt before the season. But thankfully they aren't rubbing up against the cap.

 

[TheKingPin]

It would be nice if we got more detail on why they are doing another repair surgery rather than a partial meniscectomy which is the route Steve Mason went when his repair failed nine years ago. A repair seems to be better for long term health if it works, but it's a big if.

http://realsurgery-meniscustear.com/meniscus-repair/

Key Points

Surgeon opinions: Today, only about 10 percent of meniscus tears can be treated by meniscus repair. Meniscus repair is an option only if the patient is young and the site of the tear has good blood flow.

Failure rates are significant, and patients need a surgeon with extensive experience in meniscus repairs; not just meniscectomy.

Most meniscus tears cannot be repaired. To heal after a repair the tear needs good blood flow, and most tears don’t have this. Also, meniscus repair is usually limited to only younger patients. Recovery is much more involved and lengthy – starting on crutches and followed by 3-6 months of gradual recovery. A stable knee is important, so ligament injuries like ACL have to be addressed too.

Surgeons estimated that the portion of tears repaired today is about 10%. They expected this to grow, but they thought the portion in the future would still be limited to about 15%. Unsuccessful repairs, about 10-20%, require a second procedure, either another repair or a meniscectomy.

Surgeons said that meniscus repair is considerably more technically demanding than partial meniscectomy. They also said there are wide differences in surgeon skills for this procedure, so having a highly experienced surgeon is important.

Guidelines don't apply to atheletes. They get internal fixation of fractures all the time. Same goes for these.

 

[Curufinwe]

Mason is an athlete who had the meniscus partially removed from one knee aged 20, and the other knee aged 26. Clearly, it is an option for NHL goalies.

I found this interesting post from a few years ago while googling.

http://www.goalietrainingpro.com/goalies/hockey-goalie-injuries/tuukka-rask-im-saying-meniscus/

If, however it is a larger tear and/or located more toward the inner portion, then the orthopod may want to get in there and trim off the sharp edges – the same way you may trim down the flap on a hangnail – so they will not get caught and yanked again. The surgeons are a little limited on how much meniscus they can remove because it’s shock absorption has a protective effect on the articular cartilage. Remove the meniscus (like they used to do 40 years ago) and you are on the fast train to degenerative arthritis – ask Bobby Orr.

If the trim is successful, an athlete can often be back to play in 3-6 weeks.

Finally, if it is a big tear, but fairly clean and where there is a decent blood supply the surgeon can actually stitch the meniscus back together – just like a split lip. That is the good news. The bad news is that the goalie will wake up with their knee in a full leg brace that will be locked into full extension (fully straight) for 3-months and THEN they can start working on return to play. Like I mentioned, a poor blood supply slows healing so this one takes a long time. These goalies are looking at a 6-month return to play and a risk of re-injuring the meniscus again.

And this video from the same goalie training coach who wrote the article.

 

[RonHextall27]

I had meniscus repair on my left knee three years ago. Took almost a year to get back to normal, granted I'm older and not a pro athlete. If I had to go through round two I'd be getting it trimmed like Mason. By the time you get to the point of degenerative bone damage, after your playing career, it'll be time for a knee replacement. The success rate for those are pretty high and only getting better.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Bill Meltzer's Hockey Buzz column:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Bill-Meltzer/Stolarz-Out-Months-Not-Weeks/45/87292

Speaking with reporters via conference call on Saturday, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall gave an update on goaltending prospect Anthony Stolarz, who underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a re-torn meniscus in his left knee. The Flyers general manager said that the Lehigh Valley Phantoms goaltender would be out "months, not weeks" and the organization will take every precaution.

Stolarz should not miss the full 2017-18 season. However, it appears that he will miss much of the campaign. On July 15, he signed a one-year, two-way contract as a restricted free agent. At the NHL level, the deal carries a $725,000 cap hit.

Hextall said he will evaluate the ongoing development of second-year goaltender Alex Lyon and the play of veteran Irving in camp before making a decision on whether he feels the Flyers have enough NHL-level depth in the event of injury to Brian Elliott or the oft-injured Michal Neuvirth. Last season, Hextall felt comfortable with Stolarz as the primary option after Mason (now with Winnipeg) and Neuvirth.

 

[Beef Invictus]

In my humble opinion this is bad imo

 

[deadhead]

I never saw Stolarz as the future starting goalie, but more as a potential backup, just like Lyon. So while it reduces organizational depth temporarily, it's not the end of the world by any means.

Hextall will take another goalie in this summer's draft, in the 3rd or 4th round, which he'd have done in any case, since Stolarz and Lyon will be "up or out" in the next year or two. With Hart and Sandstrom coming next season, the focus would be on filling the pipeline behind them with legitimate prospects, which is what Hextall has been doing.

 

[Flyotes]

In my humble opinion this is bad imo

You couldn't have added an "h" to "imo" to make it cleaner? You're killing me.