Fallen Leafs

Noticeable sets of ears have perked up after hearing about the possibility of young, rising restricted free agent star Phil Kessel of the Boston Bruins looking less likely to re-sign with the Black and Gold. Due to the song and dance Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli and Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke have done earlier in the year involving Kessel and Burke’s reacquiring of the Leafs original 2nd round draft pick (TSN), the Leafs are naturally pinpointed as a viable destination for the American hockey player.

Well, he’s already used to scoring at Air Canada Centre. Might as well make it official.

Kessel is basically asking for a multi-year deal worth at least $4.5 million/year. According to Cap Geek, Boston has only a little over $1.13 million in cap space, thus, making it extremely difficult to not only offer a new contract for Kessel, but match any lucrative offer sheet tabled by another team. Assuming a team won’t offer a contract worth less than $4.5 million per season, the Bruins are expected to be looking at 2010 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round draft picks as payment per CBA rules.

For a still rebuilding team such as the Leafs, giving up three high round draft picks is a tough pill to swallow and can potentially be debilitating. But with the roster makeover Burke and co. brought in for the Leafs, this is a team that should battle for the last playoff spot, rather than bottom out. If that is the case, three mid-range draft picks for a ready-made big time goal scorer who is not yet 22 is a trade completed without hesitation. So, what is the problem?

Too soon? First, wipe your drool. Then, you can blame blurr1974 for the image.

The important passage follows in Bruins Blog (emphasis mine):

Phil Kessel underwent successful left shoulder surgery today at Massachusetts General Hospital to repair a torn rotator cuff and labrum…Rehab and recovery will sideline Kessel for up to six months. Kessel is not expected to be ready for the start of 2009-10.

Details are scarce as to what type of labrum tear Kessel suffered from, but from my limited, non-medical research, Kessel could have suffered from a Bankart Lesion or the more serious, Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posterior (SLAP).

A Bankart lesion usually occurs when a shoulder dislocates and thus, the labrum is torn and the shoulder becomes more likely to dislocate in the future. Surgery to reattach the torn labrum back to the shoulder socket has about a 90% success rate of patients returning to their normal activities without further dislocations. This would be the ideal diagnosis for Kessel where he should be back to normal after the recovery period.

On the other hand, a SLAP tear is a torn labrum located at the top of the shoulder socket where the biceps tendon attaches to the shoulder. While SLAP tears commonly occur in athletes that throw overhand repeatedly, which does not apply to hockey players for the most part, it is significant to note SLAP tears often arise together with other shoulder injuries, such as rotator cuff tears. Using sutures, the torn labrum is reattached back to the bone and is a more complex surgical procedure than the others.

For baseball players, especially pitchers, a torn labrum is often a career killer. The labrum, which functions as a shock absorber and the shoulder’s connective structure, cannot be reconstructed and when surgically repaired, suffers from stiffness, tiredness, and loss of strength. Over strain or too rigorous shoulder activity before full recovery can lead to another tear and further surgery. Furthermore, Will Carroll’s article “Labrum, It Nearly Killed Him” indicates that it is almost impossible to measure fatigue and consequently, rehabilitation for torn labrums requires a measure of luck not as prevalent in other shoulder injuries.

About that perfect throwing motion, Mark Prior…

As NHL Fanhouse points out, Vincent Lecavalier had a similar procedure done on him last offseason and subsequently, he struggled all year. Lecavalier posted his lowest point totals since the lockout and scored only 29 goals, fewest since the 2001-2002 season. Highly probable that the loss of shoulder strength contributed to Lecavalier having trouble matching his previous play.

Undeniably, Phil Kessel is a talented player who is only 21 years of age. He is a pure sniper with excellent speed and gifted hand-eye coordination. 36 goals in 70 games and an additional 11 points in 11 playoff games this past season is quite a scoring rate. But is it a rate worth signing a long term deal for a player with attitude problems, who Elliotte Friedman of CBC Sports says, “doesn’t yet fully understand what it takes to succeed”?

Kessel will already miss most of the first half in the upcoming season, and it is entirely plausible that the whole season will see a dip in his production as he attempts to get back into game shape. Can Kessel absorb the countless number of hits ready to face him after the surgery? Will his vaunted wrist shot still retain that laser speed and cannon power? Any hesitancy driving towards the net, standing in front for rebounds, digging in the corners for fear of ruining his shoulder again?

The Leafs need to be absolutely sure that Kessel will fully heal from a significant injury and continue his ascension to the upper-echelon of the NHL elite. Otherwise, losing draft picks will once again rear its ugly head to haunt the Leafs.

He got that trophy for having one ball. He can play with only one shoulder, too, right?