by News of Ilya Mikheyev shutting down for the rest of the season to surgically repair a torn ACL would be normal, if unfortunate, even for a bungled Vancouver Canucks franchise. However, one key detail has added to the feeling of organizational disarray: Mikheyev has continued to overcome injury ever since first the season has even started.
For what it’s worth, Mikheyev took to Twitter Saturday to defend the Canucks’ decision — and his — to play most of the campaign. Specifically, Mikheyev stressed that it was his decision to wear the suit despite the injury.
In the first tweet, Mikheyev said that he, along with the team’s medical staff, determined that playing on the torn cruciate ligament would not cause further damage.
“I understand there is a lot of debate about my decision to play with an ACL injury. Here are the facts: When I got injured in the preseason, I went through several tests and realized I could play without causing further damage. Here’s what I wanted to do,” he written.
The 28-year-old forward noted that his knee was tested twice a week, crucially adding that “I’ve never felt pressure (to continue playing), never have I felt worse. It was my decision to continue playing.
Finally, Mikheyev noted that the decision was made to have surgery so he would be ready for the Canucks’ 2023-24 training camp and that he “has no complaints about the way it’s been handled.”
Considering how disastrously the Canucks have handled many decisions this season (and in recent years), people would already be hesitant to extend the benefit of the doubt to management. But that situation has inspired more speculation after Quinn Hughes expressed serious disdain for the way Tanner Pearson’s wrist injury was handled earlier this season.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Bill Sterett lays out some key reasons why it’s a bad idea to play on a torn ACL here. The gist: Playing with a torn ACL, you also risk injuring the CML in the knee. From there, you increase your chances of knee arthritis problems.
Note that according to playoff projections by The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn, the Canucks’ playoff chances were down to about 20% around December. Not only was biting the bullet in September already dubious, but waiting until the end of January again points to a lackluster view from an organization that continues to intervene.
Mikheyev is 28 and the Canucks have a $4.75 million cap dedicated to him for four seasons (deal expires after 2025-26). Rolling dice with any player’s health seems silly; he’s doubly troubling when it comes to someone who carries a long-term commitment.
Of course, it would be even worse if the Canucks pressured Mikheyev to continue playing on a torn ACL, but letting him do it — especially well past the point where this season was already lost — is just another alarming sign of a franchise in disarray.
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