Update (2:40 PM): The injury is now being classified as a vascular injury and Lundqvist will miss "at least" three weeks, until he is reevaluated. This likely means that the puck to the throat resulted in some form of hemorraghing that needs to be treated or maybe swelling that needs to diminish before he can play again. A possible issue with circulation needs to be considered and that timeframe may be what's needed for what occurred at the site of contact to heal. (Again, all this is speculation until more is known)
The Rangers had been very closed mouth about the extent and type of neck injury Henrik Lundqvist suffered when hit in the throat last Saturday against Florida. The longer the radio silence, the more speculation rose that the injury was serious. Those fears were realized as it Larry Brooks broke the news that Lundqvist will miss at least four weeks with the injury.
The one piece of good news is that Lundqvist did not develop a blood clot, as had been speculated in social media, nor is he is suffering from nerve damage or post-concussion symptoms. But the injury, which has yet to be detailed what it is, will require a recovery period of at least four weeks, if not longer. The other good news is that New York, barring a tremedous collapse, look to be locked in to at least the eighth seed, but with 30+ games left, that is not a given. In addition, given the upcoming schedule, look for Lundqvist to be out a minimum of 10 games, giving the team additional cap room to make a deal and/or sign a back up goalie to bolster Cam Talbot, who has shown he can be relied on between the pipes.
What Talbot does bring is better puck-handling and movement skills than Lundqvist, though has made clear strides this year in that regard. That ability to play the puck could reduce some of the wear and tear on the d-men and improve the transition game. With 12 games this month, including a pair of back-to-backs, Talbot will get every chance to show he has the capacity to be a #1 goalie down the road. That will increase his trade value if it happens, though at the reasonable salary NY signed him when they gave him a one-year extension this year, if any deal occurs, I hope it happens once NY has signed a veteran goalie in the off-season. Skapski will get a chance or two. If he fails, then the pressure to add a goalie mounts, if he plays well enough to give the team a chance to win and Talbot is solid between the pipes, the Rangers get to stay at 48 contracts. Doing so save some cap space as well, especially if Lundqvist lands on LTIR.
Here is the video of the injury:
.
Now the questions. This is not a full list, but some that have to be asked because we don't have the answers nor any real statement from the team. So right now, much of what we know is pure speculation. Much of that may be due to HIPPA rules, where personal information can't be fully released without approval, but what has been reported to date has been grossly inadequate.. - how did the Rangers training staff, including Jim Ramsey, allow Lundqvist to stay in the game after he was hit in the throat and clearly had difficulty breathing? - how the training staff, team doctors, coaching staff and management allow him to play Monday when he noted he still had some light headeness and headaches? - why did it take for Wednesday for the additional tests to be given to him based on the injury and symptoms noted? - what exactly is the injury? - can it re-occur easily, meaning is at a greater risk for it happening again now that it happened once? - is it career-threatening? - what happens if it's longer than a month? Will Hank have enough time to shake off the rust and be ready for a playoff run or playoffs? - what happens if Cam Talbot gets hurt? Do you rely on Mackenzie Skapski? Can you afford to deal a prospect for a back up goaltender with experience (Al Montoya or someone of that ilk or do you sign Evgeni Nabokov)? If anyone is added, it has to be cap friendly, as the team doesn't have much wiggle room.
This is a failure on so many levels. We all lauded Lundqvist for staying in the game while wondering why the hell he was there. Turns out our gut was right and this was an epic failure of team management to manage this properly.