Article: Wild's Jared Spurgeon Out For Remainder Of Season

[Thomas Williams]

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[Citizen Strife]

Well, this hurts a ton.  Anyone still questioning if the Wild should go defense in the draft just got a big reason why.  I hope this doesn't turn into a lingering issue.  However, Spurgeon isn't getting any younger.  

[MrCheatachu]

Sucks that Spurgeon is being shutdown this season, but it's probably the right call to make.  Rather have him get the surgeries and get healthy for next season rather than limping through this season and not having time to recover on the offseason.

Luckily Spurgeon is fairly good about being an effective defensemen without requiring being a bowling ball.  I'm hopeful his style of play will allow him to bounce back better than if it was, say, Moose who needs to be filling them in to be effective.

Not sure the specifics, but Patrick Kane's looked pretty good off his hip resurfacing, and all the guys who've had stuff done to their backs/necks recently (Parise, Eichel, etc) seem to have had pretty good recoveries.

 

That said, who's BillyG going to target?  Are we done giving up assets for Matt Dumba, or is there still some blood to squeeze out of that stone?

[Imyourhuckleberry]

2 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

Anyone still questioning if the Wild should go defense in the draft just got a big reason why.

Yeah, if the Wild move up in the lottery to the top 3, a forward is likely the right move, but there are a lot of quality defensive prospects expected to go in the top half of the 1st round and the Wild could use another top defender to be ready in a few years when Spurgeon's contract ends.

Guys drafted in this draft will be around 21 years old when Spurgeon's contract ends in the summer of 2027, when Spurgeon will by 37.

Rough year for the captain. Hopefully he's healed and feeling strong heading into next season.

[B1GKappa97]

2 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

Well, this hurts a ton.  Anyone still questioning if the Wild should go defense in the draft just got a big reason why.  I hope this doesn't turn into a lingering issue.  However, Spurgeon isn't getting any younger.  

Lucky for us its a great draft to do that! Should be able to land a stud with that 1st rounder and pair him with Fabes for years to come 😄

[B1GKappa97]

5 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

Guys drafted in this draft will be around 21 years old when Spurgeon's contract ends in the summer of 2027, when Spurgeon will by 37.

Depending on who they get, and how the Kaprizov negotiations work out, I could easily see them deciding to buy out that final year of Spurgeon's deal..

[mnfaninnc]

When I heard this news on the ESPN+ broadcast last night, I became very concerned/worried. 5'9" 166 is what Spurgeon's measurements are reported. 14 years in the league where he is constantly battling forwards in the 190-210 lb. area, sometimes even more. Spurgeon has been physical and has for 14 years punched above his weight class. His stick has been ultra reliable and he is under the radar in most NHL circles.

Why do I bring this up? Because it is also reported that the Wild expect him to be ready for training camp. Let's be real here. The most you get out of the NHL teams is LBI or UBI. Sometimes, they'll even give you an MBI. This time they specified: Left hip surgery on Feb. 6th followed by back surgery a month later. Yes, Spurgeon is getting up there in age. He's played 867 games, all for the Wild. My concern is simple, I expect that the surgeons will find more damage to the hip and back than previously thought. 

Why is this? Is this just a doom and gloom forecast? Is it because the Twins, Vikings and now Wild have been decimated by injuries this year in a very weird way? No. It's because 14 years of pounding on a 5'9" 166 lb. body takes a tremendous toll. At this point, my hope is that after these surgeries, he will have the opportunity to live a healthy, active life. We owe him about $22.5m over the next 3 years. It is highly likely that those 3 years will be LTIRed. To me, I believe it may be time for Spurgeon to transition into team management (coaching or front office). If we tried to departmentalize our player development wing, he would be my first choice for defensive coordinator. He'd be more effective, I think, than Goligoski. 

Now, let's say the surgeries are a success. Can Spurgeon return to the lineup providing the same stellar play and physicality that he could before the surgeries? I do not believe he can. Remember how Peyton Manning looked after his spinal fusion surgery? He had a few good performances with the Broncos, but, he was more susceptible to injury from awkward hits which showed up in his superbowl year. Manning was 6'5" >235 lbs. He had a body that could absorb punishment, yet they still got him. Yes, even if Spurgeon has 2 successful surgeries, I believe the risk for him to be broken again is high. Does he really want to risk entering his late 30s crippled? How will Spurgeon's wife and kids receive this risk? They will want their dad and husband to be active and healthy.

2 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

Anyone still questioning if the Wild should go defense in the draft just got a big reason why.

This is a really good take, and probably something we all need to come to grips with. Our right side defense is once again in trouble. The depth of a RHS player just isn't there and Spacek/Masters are a couple of years away from just a debut. Could someone else step in like Faber has? We may be forced to see that.

It is stated that Shooter may now be looking for a capable UFA defender to take his spot. Capable, here, means having to give up assets to acquire, and not just bargain basement ones. Could Firstov be one of the pieces worth giving up? I don't know of too many players we could get to take Spurgeon's place, but Noah Hanifan seems to be a guy available. Of course, we'd only be in competition with about half the league to acquire him. Or, should Shooter wait until UFA season, see how the surgeries go, see if Spurgeon even wants to come back, or is capable of it? Also, this injury was an on ice thing, so LTIRing him is completely legit, and we should be able to attract a pretty good defender with that price. Brett Pesce is also a name that could be in the mix, and I believe his contract would be more in line with Brodin's. 

I'd love to see Spurgeon get to 1,000 games. Essentially, that would be about 2 full seasons. But I cannot see him getting there like the Spurgeon we've all remembered seeing. 

Lastly, for those much younger than me, I'd like to let you know from experience: With all the pictures doctors can get these days, it is still a very different story when they open a patient up and actually see the injury. Both of these surgeries are not easy. They are not automatically successful either. There could be a real mess inside that they find when opening him up. I was at the game when Culpepper had his knee shredded. He was never the same. There are so many nerves associated with the back, even just one little slip by the surgeon could be catastrophic. If there's more damage than expected, this could present a problem in many areas. 

We all should be concerned, very concerned by this. And, we should be far more interested in Jared Spurgeon the person right now, than Jared Spurgeon the player. 

 

 

[IllicitFive]

5 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I'd love to see Spurgeon get to 1,000 games. Essentially, that would be about 2 full seasons. But I cannot see him getting there like the Spurgeon we've all remembered seeing. 

Lastly, for those much younger than me, I'd like to let you know from experience: With all the pictures doctors can get these days, it is still a very different story when they open a patient up and actually see the injury. Both of these surgeries are not easy. They are not automatically successful either. There could be a real mess inside that they find when opening him up. I was at the game when Culpepper had his knee shredded. He was never the same. There are so many nerves associated with the back, even just one little slip by the surgeon could be catastrophic. If there's more damage than expected, this could present a problem in many areas. 

We all should be concerned, very concerned by this. And, we should be far more interested in Jared Spurgeon the person right now, than Jared Spurgeon the player. 

 

 

I agree, seeing him hit 1000 games would be wonderful, I know you aren't a big fan of small players but Spurgeon played the game wonderfully for his size and has been amazingly effective though under appreciated across the rest of the NHL.

I may be younger than you but surgeries have come a long way since the days of Culpepper. Knee shredded  and was never the same. Before that there was no hope of playing again. Since that you see players like AP, not the same injury, but has surgery and comes back the next year for a almost record breaking year, and that was after being injured on Dec 24th 2011. A lot comes down to how you attack recovery from these types of injuries, and pro athletes have better and more opportunity than us 9 to 5ers.  This is more me holding out hope, not saying its impossible for something to go wrong or have the situation be way worse but, I may be misreading your tone here, I don't think its as doom and gloom.

Even if he can come back who knows how much longer his body can hold up. He's not getting bigger or faster so there will be natural decline anyway but I would bet he will have every opportunity to get back to the highest level his body will let him. My worry is more between the ears, that's the last part to heal. Maybe he sits back during recovery and decides "I have young kids, I want to be able to move and play with them without being hobbled" and calls it a day. Who knows. Either way wishing him the best and would love to see him back on the ice helping shut down top lines again.

[mnfaninnc]

Now, about last night's game. This was a game where it was very apparent which team was the better team. Stats aside, it's hard to say to a goalie "you played really well" when he gave up 7. I thought Goose2 played really well, and TBL could have put up 13. 

But, this is who we are at this point. Will it be different against the Panthers tonight? Panthers have been slumping, so maybe. 

It wouldn't surprise me if Mermis got to sit. I thought he had a bit of a weak game last night. Hunt, however, looked pretty good. Our defense was really exposed. Having to kill 3 PPs and not getting 1 killed was tough. 

Now, I don't care so much about the outcomes this season, to me the reason to watch is seeing Rossi, Faber, Boldy, Hunt, Goose2, improve. And, watching the skill of Kaprizov and tenacity of Ek is fun. Quietly, Middleton is having his best offensive season yet. He's already surpassed his best season by 2 points. 

I'd also have to say that "sell" seems to be the theme right now for the Wild in about a month. I wonder who wants to leave? We've, essentially, got 2 more games to see where we stand. I'd say we have to win both for us not to be in sell mode. 

Anybody with designations should be meeting with Shooter when we return letting him know if they are part of the solution here or would reconsider their designations. 

Some people have said that a player with an NMC really has to go to the GM to say he wants to move on, I simply don't buy that. I think that if a GM gets a decent enough offer, maybe from multiple teams, he then presents them to the player and the player decides if/where he wants to go. I'd imagine that Shooter will need a backup phone battery for the next month or so. 

Sometimes, situations dictate the marinating time. Shooter has been very good at keeping his prospects developing in the lower leagues. However, now may be the time to see what Lambos has learned in the A. It might also be a good time to see what O'Rourke has in his skill set. Why now? Lambos is expected to have the least marinating time necessary, and O'Rourke is still on his ELC and doesn't need waivers to get back to Des Moines. I would think a debut for both of them would be in order, just to get a taste of the N and see how far away each player really is. 

Really, we have nothing to lose with the experiment.

[mnfaninnc]

5 minutes ago, IllicitFive said:

Since that you see players like AP, not the same injury, but has surgery and comes back the next year for a almost record breaking year, and that was after being injured on Dec 24th 2011. A lot comes down to how you attack recovery from these types of injuries, and pro athletes have better and more opportunity than us 9 to 5ers.  This is more me holding out hope, not saying its impossible for something to go wrong or have the situation be way worse but, I may be misreading your tone here, I don't think its as doom and gloom.

Even if he can come back who knows how much longer his body can hold up. He's not getting bigger or faster so there will be natural decline anyway but I would bet he will have every opportunity to get back to the highest level his body will let him. My worry is more between the ears, that's the last part to heal. Maybe he sits back during recovery and decides "I have young kids, I want to be able to move and play with them without being hobbled" and calls it a day. Who knows. Either way wishing him the best and would love to see him back on the ice helping shut down top lines again.

I'd love to see it too. AP was big enough to absorb punishment....and dish it out. I simply don't believe Spurgeon is that type of player, even given his high pain tolerance level. ACLs have become a little more routine than hips and backs, especially backs. My main worry is older injuries he was able to just play through showing up.

As for between the ears, I wonder if he will opt to not make the physical play or purposely try not to get caught in the corners. I also fear that some forwards will sense blood in the water and try to "test" his body. I think this will be a decision the whole family makes together. I'd recommend against a buyout, I go the full LTIR pathway.

To me, Spurgeon put his body on the line almost every game. He was not shy about blocking shots, and he was far more physical than his measurements would suggest he could be. A buyout seems more like a slap in the face, I believe he earned that contract, and LTIRing gives the team the ability to replace the cap number while still appreciating the player for his contribution. 

For me, there is player goodwill at stake here, and an organization that honors the deal makes it a little more of a destination. One that immediately discards the deal to save a little money is one to stay away from. Giving a hip or back to the team should be honored. He can help the team in other ways, but honor the agreement. Plus, LTIR is more of a benefit to the team, I think. 

[Dean]

I agree with Mnfannic about spurg. He’s had an impressive career but the injuries and surgeries have caught up with him.  I think his career is over . He may play a few more games but he won’t be the same. I don’t think his size an age will allow him to play out his contract after these surgeries. Him going into management is a great idea and he’s earned it. 
     I get surgeries are getting better but when Kane came back they we’re saying no one has continued there career after hip resurfacing. . He’s played a little but not enough to say it’s was successful yet. Maybe the surgeries work and he comes back. With his size an age , every time he goes into corner could be his last.  I personally think he will be on ir a majority if his remaining contract. In an out of lineup with an 8 million swing in cap constantly . Not ideal . I hope he retires and goes into management 

[Dean]

The wild should put Spurg  on LTIR for the rest of his contract. Then they could use that 8 mil for regular season to get player or players . If over his contract we make playoffs , you can then activate him and be over cap.  Ala Tampa. Haha . I get they don’t  accrue cap by having player on ltir but 8 million is a lot. 

[MrCheatachu]

11 minutes ago, Dean said:

I agree with Mnfannic about spurg. He’s had an impressive career but the injuries and surgeries have caught up with him.  I think his career is over . He may play a few more games but he won’t be the same. I don’t think his size an age will allow him to play out his contract after these surgeries. Him going into management is a great idea and he’s earned it. 
     I get surgeries are getting better but when Kane came back they we’re saying no one has continued there career after hip resurfacing. . He’s played a little but not enough to say it’s was successful yet. Maybe the surgeries work and he comes back. With his size an age , every time he goes into corner could be his last.  I personally think he will be on ir a majority if his remaining contract. In an out of lineup with an 8 million swing in cap constantly . Not ideal . I hope he retires and goes into management 

Yikes, I don't want to subscribe to your newsletter.

I'd argue that a 167 lb guy is going to have less wear and tear on his joints than a 267 lb guy, and if you're looking for longevity and the ability to come back from a joint type surgery, Spurgeon would be the ideal candidate (sure he could be a bit younger, but don't send him out to pasture yet).

Spurgeon's game is being an effective defender with also the ability to avoid getting crushed and beat on.  For the past 867 games people have been yelling that he's too small for the NHL...

[MNCountryLife]

1 hour ago, MrCheatachu said:

I'd argue that a 167 lb guy is going to have less wear and tear on his joints than a 267 lb guy, and if you're looking for longevity and the ability to come back from a joint type surgery, Spurgeon would be the ideal candidate (sure he could be a bit younger, but don't send him out to pasture yet).

Agreed.  I've been surprised about all the people on the board thinking that his career is over.  167 lb guy doesn't put the mileage on his joints like a 230 guy does.  Spurgeon has made his living by having the highest hockey IQ on the ice... not from brute force.  He has 9 months to get healthy.  I wish him the best recovery possible and hope we get to see him put his skills to work again.

[mnfaninnc]

3 hours ago, Dean said:

The wild should put Spurg  on LTIR for the rest of his contract. Then they could use that 8 mil for regular season to get player or players . If over his contract we make playoffs , you can then activate him and be over cap.  Ala Tampa. Haha . I get they don’t  accrue cap by having player on ltir but 8 million is a lot. 

Let's just say we plan for this, and we leave enough room for a $7.5m player to play 10 games at the end of the year and then playoffs? Yet, this is still risky and I wouldn't play him more than a 3rd pairing.

[mnfaninnc]

3 hours ago, MrCheatachu said:

Spurgeon's game is being an effective defender with also the ability to avoid getting crushed and beat on.  For the past 867 games people have been yelling that he's too small for the NHL...

Except this has finally caught up with him. And he has been in the corners and gotten crushed, several times by Landeskog. I don't want this to be my newsletter either. In fact, I was a bit numb last night watching our team get trounced. 

Spurgeon has been an exception to the rule of too small. Yet, he still plays physical and does get hit, though he slips most of them. My take isn't that he won't be able to recover from joint problems, I think he will, but I also am a realist and believe the next time he gets crushed by a large player, he could break again, and if he breaks again, that is where he is a high risk of crippled. And, I'm not talking about someone in the Landeskog class, I'm talking about someone in the Kaprizov class.

[mnfaninnc]

Does anyone have an idea how this happened?

[mnfaninnc]

With Spurgeon on LTIR, it opens up some space to acquire a player. For me, I wouldn't want to acquire a defender, I think we have enough of them longterm developing. But, there is an intriguing guy whom I've always liked: Mikael Granlund.

It is now different management than the guy who sent him away during the birth of his child. But Granlund with salary retained could fit right in. I'll admit he's a little smaller than I usually like, but he's built a bit stocky. I'm wondering what would happen if he were on the Boldy-Ek line? 

One thing that Granlund has as a strength is entering the zone on the PP, or for that matter at any time. He can QB a PP, like PP2. He can add offense with decent players around him. If San Jose was able to retain 50%, he'd be ours at $2.5m for the rest of this year and next. 

Granny is only 31 years old, which he just turned. He's a good 2-way player and has the position flexibility to play C, but is mostly a wing. Is it just for nostalgic reasons? No, not really. I think he could help us going forward, and I think we'd be buying low on the player. 

I'm not sure what San Jose would want for him, but I believe he's definitely for sale. His best years were with this organization, and I think we have the surrounding cast that would make him more productive. 

What do we do with Johansson, then? He's got a designation, and I believe he was sick of moving his family around. Could Johansson's speed be used elsewhere? I would think probably. He's another one of those guys who can be moved up and down the lineup + you could bury him in the A. Personally, I think he might be moved at the TDL. 

Maybe it's just me, but I think Granny would make the team better and he fits right in as a playmaker. I think we'd get better production from him at 2nd line wing than we're getting from Johansson. He's younger than Johansson, and I think a little healthier.

[Up North Guy]

1 hour ago, mnfaninnc said:

With Spurgeon on LTIR, it opens up some space to acquire a player. For me, I wouldn't want to acquire a defender, I think we have enough of them longterm developing. But, there is an intriguing guy whom I've always liked: Mikael Granlund.

It is now different management than the guy who sent him away during the birth of his child. But Granlund with salary retained could fit right in. I'll admit he's a little smaller than I usually like, but he's built a bit stocky. I'm wondering what would happen if he were on the Boldy-Ek line? 

One thing that Granlund has as a strength is entering the zone on the PP, or for that matter at any time. He can QB a PP, like PP2. He can add offense with decent players around him. If San Jose was able to retain 50%, he'd be ours at $2.5m for the rest of this year and next. 

Granny is only 31 years old, which he just turned. He's a good 2-way player and has the position flexibility to play C, but is mostly a wing. Is it just for nostalgic reasons? No, not really. I think he could help us going forward, and I think we'd be buying low on the player. 

I'm not sure what San Jose would want for him, but I believe he's definitely for sale. His best years were with this organization, and I think we have the surrounding cast that would make him more productive. 

What do we do with Johansson, then? He's got a designation, and I believe he was sick of moving his family around. Could Johansson's speed be used elsewhere? I would think probably. He's another one of those guys who can be moved up and down the lineup + you could bury him in the A. Personally, I think he might be moved at the TDL. 

Maybe it's just me, but I think Granny would make the team better and he fits right in as a playmaker. I think we'd get better production from him at 2nd line wing than we're getting from Johansson. He's younger than Johansson, and I think a little healthier.

Hmmmm...a Fin replacing a Swede. Nothing to see here. I haven't seen much of Granny playing since he was traded from the Wild. I just don't see it happening though. Granny would probably like it as his wife is from the Twin Cities I believe. MoJo is and will be a problem. I don't see them sending him down. Maybe he would not mind being traded but again, he wanted to resign because he wa tired of moving his family.