Finishing up his first face-to-face with the media since suffering what was an embarrassing, and devastating, injury, Sami Salo looked down at his walking boot, which runs up to his knee, and smiled slyly.
"Got to run," he said, and then cooly made his exit from Rogers Arena.
At least he hasn't hurt his sense of humour.
You can take his ribs, his shoulder, his groin, his testicle, his rear end, and his Achilles tendon. But you can't take his spirit. That, he has in spades. Good thing, because he'll need it all.
Of his estimated 40 career injuries, none is more serious than the Achilles rupture he suffered July 22 playing an "oldies vs. young guys" game of floorball, a no-contact sport requiring, of all things, a Wiffle ball.
"It was like somebody shooting me with a shotgun when it was torn," Salo said.
I'd be shocked if he retired. Even if he doesn't want to come back and play, he can sit the season on the IR and collect another 3.5m. I doubt he does that, he seems like the kind of guy that would want one more crack at a Stanley cup, but I doubt he's dumb enough to throw away 3.5m.
Who are these ******* on this board and others crying for Salo to retire. That's a decision he will make based on the recovery of this injury. No time frame on this injury. Trent Whitfield, an AHL/NHL tweener is going to miss the entire season with the same injury. Justin Williams missed about 3 months with the same injury. Hard to tell on the timeframe.
If the recovery goes poorly, I would fully expect Salo to call it a career. When that will occur, who knows. He could tell the team that he has to shut down his recovery and that he can't return this season sometime in early 2011 if things are progressing too slowly. This injury has likely soured other teams from considering him an option in free agency in 2011.
But, let the man retire when he's ready. His $3.5 million is going to be covered by insurance. That's why teams spends tonnes of cash on insuring their players each season.
Mike Gillis confirms Sami Salo is out for AT LEAST five months... maybe longer
Might as well keep him out until the trade deadline now. If we waive Bieksa after deadline and he gets claimed, he's ineligible to play in the playoffs for that team right? So basically no reason a team claims him unless a) they wanted to sign him in offseason and now acquire his rights for free, or b) to screw us the best they can.
Might as well keep him out until the trade deadline now. If we waive Bieksa after deadline and he gets claimed, he's ineligible to play in the playoffs for that team right? So basically no reason a team claims him unless a) they wanted to sign him in offseason and now acquire his rights for free, or b) to screw us the best they can.
That is not good. 5 months takes him pretty much past the trade deadline does it not? Too bad.
That is not good. 5 months takes him pretty much past the trade deadline does it not? Too bad.
Pretty much right to it. If you assume 5 months means all of October to, and including, February. I think trade deadline is March 2nd (give or take a couple of days)
Assuming his injury keeps him out that long (maybe a bit longer), that actually means we'd be able to dress both Salo and Bieksa as our 5 and 6 d-men for a playoff run, which would be badass (assuming no additional depth is added at the deadline). That's pretty damn solid.
Assuming his injury keeps him out that long (maybe a bit longer), that actually means we'd be able to dress both Salo and Bieksa as our 5 and 6 d-men for a playoff run, which would be badass (assuming no additional depth is added at the deadline). That's pretty damn solid.
Salo has to be out until the playoffs. If he comes back anytime before we need to waive Bieksa for cap room, and i'm not sure if we want Salo in the line up if he hasn't played a game in almost a year...
Salo has to be out until the playoffs. If he comes back anytime before we need to waive Bieksa for cap room, and i'm not sure if we want Salo in the line up if he hasn't played a game in almost a year...
What I meant there was if Salo comes back after the deadline but before the playoffs we have no choice but to waive Bieksa.
Obviously we'd trade Bieksa before the deadline if Salo is back.
Not sure about the rules on this, but it seems very unlikely anyone would claim Bieksa after the trade deadline, since he's a UFA and he wouldn't be eligible to play for them. So unless they were trying to get a head start in negotiations (for a hefty sum) they would have no reason to claim him.
Also, I'm not clear on this, but isn't there a point after which we have more space for call ups? Not sure how this works for the cap, whether it's just for the playoffs or what, but if anyone knows I'm curious.
That's pretty much it. If Salo comes back well before the trade deadline then you trade Bieksa. If after the deadline then you HAVE to waive Bieksa. You can't trade him (obviously) and there is no way having Salo and Bieksa on the roster will keep us below the cap. What you need to wish for at that point is that no team claims Bieksa (he is a UFA after all).
Bieksa won't eligible to play in the playoffs for whatever team claims him, but if a team that's out of the playoffs wants a D-man then they can claim him and get his rights until July 1st.
Is it not possible that in the situation that Salo recovers after trade deadline that we just keep him on LTIR (since if a team is not possibly cap compliant when he returns he stays on it) until the playoffs?
Yes, but you want him to get in some game action. I'm talking more than your regular conditioning stint. It's also a really crappy way to treat a long time serving player.
Chances are there will be some other Nucks on the LTIR around the time Salo is ready to come off, as well. Never any guarantees, but that could certainly facilitate things as well.
Salo was injured in July. His five-month recovery started then. If I'm understanding Gillis correctly, he's saying that Salo is out until at least the end of December, which fits with earlier timelines that have been speculated in the media.
It could be the trade deadline, but that isn't what Gillis is implying here.
Salo was injured in July. His five-month recovery started then. If I'm understanding Gillis correctly, he's saying that Salo is out until at least the end of December, which fits with earlier timelines that have been speculated in the media.
It could be the trade deadline, but that isn't what Gillis is implying here.
I don't think this is it - why would Gillis state in a recent interview that Salo is out for 5 months, including the 2 or 3 past months?
I'm sure he was referring 'from here on out'.
Unfortunately, this type of injury does keep one out of commission almost up to 1 year total.
I don't think this is it - why would Gillis state in a recent interview that Salo is out for 5 months, including the 2 or 3 past months?
I'm sure he was referring 'from here on out'.
Unfortunately, this type of injury does keep one out of commission almost up to 1 year total.
I thought he just referred to is as a five-month injury, but I could be mistaken.
