Report: Flyers' Jakub Voracek suffers knee injury with KHL team

[Irishjim]

The worst fear of NHL teams during the lockout? Players going overseas and getting injured. It's one of the biggest risks they're taking.

Ed Snider, Paul Holmgren and the Flyers appear to be seeing that fear become reality. Winger Jakub Voracek, playing in the KHL for HC Lev Praha in his native Czech Republic, reportedly suffered a knee injury this weekend.

At first it didn't sound good at all.

From CSN Philadelphia's Tim Panaccio:

Sources telll CSNPhilly.com that J Voracek incurred a bad knee injury this weekend in Europe. Last thing Flyers need

But Panaccio later received more information that it wasn't nearly as bad. Not included in the tweet is the sigh of relief being heard in the Philadelphia area.

Agent Petr Svoboda tells CSNPhilly.com Voracek has knee sprain and will miss one week.

Sounds like the Flyers dodged a bullet. Knee injuries are never good; all you can do is hope they're not really bad. A sprain would qualify as not really bad.

Voracek hasn't played the first game of a new contract yet. He was a restricted free agent before the Flyers re-signed him to a new four-year contract worth $17 million, or $4.25 million per season.

That's indicative of where the Flyers see Voracek down the line. He was part of the return package in the trade of Jeff Carter to the Blue Jackets, and Voracek fit in right away with Philadelphia. He had 18 goals and 31 assists in 78 games and added 10 points in 11 playoff games. And he just turned 23.

Even though it doesn't sound as though Voracek was hurt badly here, it's still a reminder that hopefully he took the safeguard and had his contract ensured before going to the KHL, just as the NHLPA suggested every player do. If not, then if Voracek were unable to play when the lockout ends, he would be facing discipline from the Flyers.

In seven games for Lev Praha, Voracek had one goal and six assists, a solid point-per-game pace.

[hf101]

Comcast is reporting that there are two different reports on the severity of Jake's knee sprain. One from his agent is stating that the injury isn't so bad and he will only miss a week. And the second is from reports that state the injury is much worse and will miss at least a month.

oh joy.....Mr Snider will surely now be in no hurry to end this lockout. :wacko:

Hopefully Voracek is in no hurry to return to playing in Europe and takes as much rest as necessary.

[Hexy27]

Let's hope this lockout ends before Giroux takes the ice in Germany. I don't want to see another player of ours go down with injury overseas.

[TedZep]

So, the players are supposed to buy insurance to cover their contracts.

Of what use is that to the clubs? Do they receive a portion of that due to lost revenue? Does their contract come off the books, freeing up salary cap room for signing of an able bodied replacement?

I would do the leg work, but I'm sure someone on the forum already knows the answer. Thanks!

[radoran]

Everything is essentially an open question given that there is no CBA in place.

I don't blame players for wanting to play - it's what they do. It's their job. Their life, in many respects.

The owners have voluntarily put their assets at risk.

But they don't really worry about that because there's more head of cattle down on the farm.

[Spinorama]

I don't want to see another player of ours go down with injury overseas.

amen! is it really worth it to go play over there? I know the insurance is in place in case they get hurt but I don't really know how it works. Do these players have to take insurance policy's out on themselves and it is the insurer who pays their salary as opposed to the Flyers in the event they DO get hurt?

[Hexy27]

@Spinorama

I don't think anyone knows the answers to those questions. I don't know if the answer lies in the CBA or in some IIHF language. It is probably out there for someone that really wants to go digging around.

[jammer2]

@Hexy27 This really does suck, but on the bright side, we always have a few training camp injuries, so I just take it as par for the course.

[canoli]

@Spinorama

I don't think anyone knows the answers to those questions. I don't know if the answer lies in the CBA or in some IIHF language. It is probably out there for someone that really wants to go digging around.

well it kind of has to be that answer doesn't it? what else would make sense? btw the story here said the NHLPA "advised" all the players to buy insurance but the story I read on philly.com (seravalli so take it with a grain of salt) said "All players under NHL contract were required to insure every dollar of their deal against injury before going overseas."

Anyway - you can't blame these guys for wanting to play. (remember there's a reason they call it "play" Seriously - it's what they do and some of them are the best in the world at it. They're not going to just stay home and not work. Frankly I'm a little surprised we haven't seen more guys signing up to play over there...