When the Flyers released their post-season surgery list this morning, Nicklas Grossmann's name was not among the five players mentioned by general manager Paul Holmgren. This directly conflicts information that arose in Sweden on May 9.
On that day, Team Sweden general manager Johan Garpenlöv told TV4 Sport (the network's related
video and story quotes are here) that he had a conversation with Holmgren about Grossmann's availability to play in the World Championships.
"He said Grossmann will be operated on after the season, and won't be available," said Garpenlöv.
At the time, the Swedish national team GM said he would wait to talk to Grossmann first.
"I want to talk to Grossmann before I strike him from the [roster] list," said Garpenlöv. "Sometimes, it can be that the player himself wants to come over and play, so I have a little hope."
Several hours later the story was updated with fresh quotes (also reflected in the above link). Garpenlöv told the network he had spoken with Grossmann and gotten the same answer he had gotten from Holmgren.
"He has to have an operation on his knee and is taking injections now," said Garpenlöv.
In the days that followed the TV4 report, virtually every major Swedish media outlet -- newspapers, TV and radio -- all repeated the story. Some outlets spoke directly to Garpenlöv and received the same information, others cited the TV4 report.
When Grossmann's name did not appear on the Flyers' surgery list released today, I reached out to Paul Holmgren for comment on the Swedish reports that Grossmann needed knee surgery.
"You probably shouldn't believe everything you read," he replied via email.
I could buy the story that one Swedish outlet ran misinformation and others repeated it, except for one problem. Garpenlöv was crystal clear in what he told TV4 on May 9. There was no ambiguity whatsoever to his statement, and he has to be considered a reliable source with no reason to lie about what he was told by the Philadelphia GM or the player.
So the only reasonable conclusions here, as I see it, is that either a) Grossmann elected NOT to have surgery after both Holmgren and he spoke to Garpenlöv or b) the Flyers, for whatever reason, are not making information public until Grossmann is further evaluated.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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