Injured Leafs center Dave Bolland spoke with the media for the first time since being seriously injured against the Vancouver Canucks nine days ago and described the incident as simply bad luck.
“It’s just a freak thing,… Bolland said at the MasterCard Center in Etobicoke, ON on Monday. “It’s hockey. You’re going in the corners and you’re wearing sharp blades; it was just a little opening in my foot that got cut.…
In spite of wearing Kevlar protective socks, the two-time Stanley Cup winner suffering a punctured ankle tendon that will keep the Mimico, ON native out an undetermined amount of time.
“I just went in the corner and by the time I turned around I just fell and didn’t really feel anything in my ankle,… Bolland said. “Tried to get up and my ankle just buckled…when you get cut like that or any type of injury like that that’s always a scary moment.…
According to the Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle , the 27-year-old will be on crutches until early December and then will be evaluated by the Leafs medical staff as to how long it will take for the tendon to heal.
“You can’t do much,… Bolland said. “You can’t put any weight on it. You’ve got to let the healing begin. For me, it’s sitting in front of my Apple TV watching as many shows as I can.…
The length of time it will take for Bolland to return is unknown, as it is based on his ability to heal. Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson suffered a partially severed Achilles tendon in mid-February and was able to return for the first round of Stanley Cup Playoffs in early May. With the NHL inactive for most of February due to the Olympic break, a reasonable target date for the center’s return would be March but there are no guarantees.
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In the wake of Bolland and center Tyler Bozak’s injury, Leafs GM Dave Nonis looked for a stop gap measure up the middle and according to the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch looked into the possibility of acquiring Dallas Stars center Vern Fiddler.
The 33-year-old veteran has played with Nashville, Phoenix and Dallas over his 10 year NHL career and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Stars GM Jim Nill has been actively shopping Fiddler in recent weeks as his club lurks near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but according to Garrioch the Leafs did not have the available cap space to accommodate Fiddler’s $1.8 Million salary.
Toronto instead signed veteran Jerred Smithson to a one-year, two-way contract for $550,000. For the Leafs to make any moves of consequence from now until the March 5th trade deadline, they will have to move a player off their roster such as blueliner John Michael Liles and his $3.875 Million salary.
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