Pronger out indefinitely with 'concussion-like' symptoms;Schenn also has a concussion

[FlyersFan4Life]

http://www.csnphilly.com/hockey-philadelphia-flyers/news/Pronger-out-indefinitely-with-concussion?blockID=608958&feedID=695

flyers defenseman Chris Pronger is out indefinitely with 'concussion-like' symptoms, general manager Paul Holmgren said on Friday.

"While Chris' knee is improving, he has struggled with other issues that are concussion-like symptoms," Holmgren said in a statement on Friday. "Chris will see Dr. Joe Maroon and Dr. Mickey Collins on Wednesday, December 14th in Pittsburgh for further evaluation. Chris will be out indefinitely."

In other injury news, Holmgren said that Brayden Schenn is believed to have a "mild concussion." Schenn has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury.

does not look good for pronger at all or scheen I say when scheen gets healthy trade him for a d man

[Vanflyer]

Its code: The virus was really the knee and the surgery caused him a concussion.

[idahophilly]

During the knee operation a nurse dropped an oxygen tank on his head.

Joking aside though... This isn't good. Do we truely consider replacing Pronger now? And I really like the prospect of Schenn but it's starting to seem like his durability is in question. Shoulder injury, Broken foot (and we know they go for us...Forseborg/Carter.) and now a concussion. I don't want to give up on either of them but boy this doesn't give me the warm fuzzy! Timmo CAN'T keep playing the number of minutes he is playing...

[Irishjim]

i think in the best interest for prongers health they shut him down for the season.. i know people will be up in arms with "How can we win without pronger". well we are anyway. let the dude completly heal. free up cap space and look for a rental D man for this season

[idahophilly]

I was thinking the exact same thing. I know he is no spring chicken and doesn't want to loose one of his final 3-4 years but... Let the concussion heal, knee's heal, ect... He would better to have a relatively healthy final 3 years than keep re-injuring these nagging things...

And so Schenn enters the equation. Also made of glass so far this season. Now, if we make the leap and say prongs is out for a significant to all the rest of the season, we HAVE to make a move quick before we spend Timmo completly. We would need a VERY solid 3-4 guy if not 2 guy. Is Schenn that trade bait. I REALLY don't want to use Bob yet as I'm not 100% comfortable with Bryz... I think I'll write my first blog this weekend on the topic...

PS, anyone else NOT surprised that Pronger winds up with a concussion???

[flyercanuck]

I have a better idea...trade him to Montreal. They seem to love making deals for over the hill players with ridiculously long contracts.

[Bertmega]

@Irishjim

Jim I agree with the Pronger idea. We are winning and that is what matters. This team has become too hung up on Pronger and he is starting to remind me of Forsberg with the whole foot saga.

If Pronger retires does his salary come off the cap?

Schenn at this point is frustrating as all hell, but I say we stick with him and see where he develops. Let him rest and get a little more time in the AHL and see what he's got come Feb or March. If he still hasn't clicked then we can attempt to move him at the deadline for some D help.

In all seriousness this D will get eaten alive in the playoffs and that will force Holmgren and Co to over react and overpay for some dusty old fart.

At this point if I were Holmgren, I would be shopping for a good sized stay-at-home defensemen ideally with a right-handed shot.

I like Marc-Edouard Vlasic, but I doubt the Sharks will bite on that unless the deal is too good.

Hey how about Kim Johnsson? He should be almost free. If he still in shape and can play then why not offer him the league minimum to get back into the NHL.

Edited December 9, 2011 by Bertmega

[idahophilly]

Yeah, they sure do! But i wouldn't surprised if Pronger has a NMC/NTC...

Pronger needs to get healthy and the team doesn't need a roller coaster ride on defence. I have been against making any moves at all but Schenn/Pronger news changes that. If Pronger feels good in March bring him back for the last ten games or so and play him in the PO's... But you always risk upsetting the chemistry when you do that, assuming you were playing good...

[aziz]

If Pronger retires does his salary come off the cap?

there is no "retire" mid-SPC in the NHL. if he is too hurt to continue to play, he can go on the LTIR until the deal is up, but he has to be verified as incapable of playing for that to happen. shy of that, his contract is against the cap and the contract limit.

i'm on the let him take as much time as he wants boat...i like how the defense is coming together in his absence...but i don't really understand the "shut him down for the season" thing, yet. we don't know what's going on here, why are people jumping to the conclusion that he needs the next 10 months off? let him pull himself together and if he is ready in february, bring him back.

[idahophilly]

@Irishjim

Jim I agree with the Pronger idea. We are winning and that is what matters. This team has become too hung up on Pronger and he is starting to remind me of Forsberg with the whole foot saga.

If Pronger retires does his salary come off the cap?

Schenn at this point is frustrating as all hell, but I say we stick with him and see where he develops. Let him rest and get a little more time in the AHL and see what he's got come Feb or March. If he still hasn't clicked then we can attempt to move him at the deadline for some D help.

In all seriousness this D will get eaten alive in the playoffs and that will force Holmgren and Co to over react and overpay for some dusty old fart.

At this point if I were Holmgren, I would be shopping for a good sized stay-at-home defensemen ideally with a right-handed shot.

I like Marc-Edouard Vlasic, but I doubt the Sharks will bite on that unless the deal is too good.

Hey how about Kim Johnsson? He should be almost free. If he still in shape and can play then why not offer him the league minimum to get back into the NHL.

That's the problem, just looking at the situation quickly there are few options... I 'm pretty sure we are stuck with Prongers cap hit if he retires (over 35 rule). LTIR works for some relief but screws you in other ways. What barganing chips do we really have to get a d-man? Schenn and or Bob. And yes, we could wait until March to see how things go with Schenn but by then they will be taking Timmo's dimensions for the coffin he'll need by then. Mez, Couborn and Carl will be very much spent also.

Pardon the fraze but this is a sh!t or get off the pot situation to preserve the d for the long term this year.

Then back to schenn, the premise is if he's doing good then we keep him which does nothing to help the D or that if he not so great trade him. We'll loose the return value on him if he sucks still in March and everyone will be screaming if Holmgren trades him for a medicore 3-4 d-man if he is doing great. D=men are getting a premium in all ways (contract length, money, trade value)...

[Flyguys03]

Great contract...

[phlfly]

I wonder how a such tall guy is got a conccusion? What is needed to be done, he didn't play last three weeks and almost two weeks before that. Flyers got a great f.. doctors team.

[DaGreatGazoo]

I think he got it when he got a stick in the face. Cause-effect. He didn't have these issues before that injury, now he has them, and has only paid a few games in between. Has to be that play.

[brelic]

We can only hope that Giroux never ever ever accepts the captaincy. It's cursed, I tell ya.

[Spinorama]

What barganing chips do we really have to get a d-man? Schenn and or Bob.

Bob.... NEVAR!!!!!

[Spinorama]

We can only hope that Giroux never ever ever accepts the captaincy. It's cursed, I tell ya.

I 1000% agree!!!

[Bertmega]

@idahophilly

It's a tough call for sure. Schenn is having a bad battle with the injury bug, but I too would hold on to him for awhile being that we are very strong down the middle.

Bobrovsky may be the blue chip in the trade, but I am nervous giving up on him too.

For now we are winning and Holmgren should wait till March to figure out the club's plans.

[Spinorama]

I wonder how a such tall guy is got a conccusion?

I'll assume this is a serious question and I can only point to that stick he took to the eye early on in the season. That was almost a baseball like swing that rode up the stick and into his face. I'd be willing to bet that was it.

[Bertmega]

@aziz

Agreed. It is looking more and more like he is done for the season though.

[aziz]

maybe. it's only early december, though, and we have *no idea* what is going on. just seems like a weird prognosis to declare him done for 10 months based on the essentially zero information we have.

[xganarchy]

i'm guessing the people who are saying sit him out for the season are just looking at what the Pens did with Crosby.

[Spinorama]

i don't really understand the "shut him down for the season" thing, yet.

nor I, way too soon.

[idahophilly]

I'm going with 100% yes as far as I'm concerned. I was amazed he wasn't knocked out...

[aziz]

i'm guessing the people who are saying sit him out for the season are just looking at what the Pens did with Crosby.

sure, but they didn't go into it planning for crosby to miss all that time. he kept failing tests, kept reportinging ongoing symptoms. let's wait and see how this unfolds with pronger before predicting anything.

[Spinorama]

sure, but they didn't go into it planning for crosby to miss all that time. he kept failing tests, kept reportinging ongoing symptoms. let's wait and see how this unfolds with pronger before predicting anything.

I wonder why the Flyers are having a hard time calling it a concussion. The one report I read said he had "concussion-like" symptoms and Pronger himself said he passed baseline tests. A bunch of us here were predicting concussion back when it was just a virus. What's the big deal, call it a concussion, put him on the IR, hope he's healthy come playoffs and move on. Am I missing something?