Thursday, January 24, 2013

Holmgren talks injuries, more

Courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers GM Paul Holmgren 

Q: Can you give us an update on Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere?

A: I haven’t heard yet how the x-ray went for Danny, but he’s getting better. I would say he’s maybe 50/50 on the weekend, I’ll know better after the game. 

Q: Is there a fracture?

A: Well we’re seeing the x-ray later, so then we will have a better idea after the game. 

Q: How about Scott Hartnell?

A: We sort of know what it is, a broken first metatarsal in his left foot. Right now we’re trying to decide, we’re talking to the doctor about the best way to proceed with it, in terms of how to approach it. I can’t give you a time frame, it’s probably, gonna be between four to eight weeks depending on how significant the injury is.

Q: Any update on Zac Rinaldo? 

A: He skated today, some tightness though, it feels like a charlie horse to him, the wound has actually healed up fairly quickly.  He’s unlikely to play at all over the weekend.

Q: Have you talked to any of your players about wearing those plastic shields regularly?

A: I’ve talked to them about it yeah, but it hinders the guys a little bit. Don’t know how to explain it other than you don’t want to mess with a player's skates, whether it makes them heavier or wider when they go to make a turn, you kind of slip on the ice, it’s a little bit of an issue. I know some teams use them, more players use them. Our players during power play work and practice they put them on, but it’s just one of those things that I can’t explain, it’s a superstition but obviously it’s an issue, we’ve had, I think over the last five years, a lot of guys injured -Simon Gagne, Brayden Schenn, Jeff Carter, Chris Pronger, and Scottie now. We’ve had a lot of guys who have been injured due to similar things, blocking shots. It’s an issue and we’re trying to deal with it. Whether they can make these protective devices smaller or lighter, i don’t know, but we haven’t found the right formula yet in order to get all of our players to wear them.

Q: With Hartnell out for so long will you explore trades? 

A: We’re looking around obviously. Scott, he’s a big loss, because of how he plays the game. And to have him out at any length of time is difficult. Whether it’s a month to two months it’s a tough pill to swallow but we’ll see what we can do. 

Q: Did you say he was hit in the laces or somewhere else? 

A: Well basically it’s his big toe, the extension of his big toe that’s broken in the foot. So I think, when I saw it, it looked like it hit him on the laces.

Q: Paul, will you have Scott see the doctor again before you decide on surgery? 

A: We’ll just have to have a conference between Scott and our medical staff. I should know sometime tonight. 

Q: Can you give us an update/discuss the contract situation, are you at 49 now?

A: Today, as we speak, we are at 49. 

Q: Regarding Hovinen and Laughton

A: If Hovinen is released we are at 48. Once Scott Laughton plays his sixth game he would be the 49th/50th. If today was game six, he would be the 50th. 

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