Canucks blue-line prospect Juolevi done for year
AHLer has surgery on knee for torn meniscus
The Vancouver Canucks have confirmed that blueline prospect Olli Juolevi is done for the season after having surgery for a tear in his knee meniscus.
Juolevi visited a specialist in Colorado on Monday and had surgery Tuesday, Canucks general manager Jim Benning said.
The young blue-liner suffered a meniscus tear, Benning confirmed, but given that he said Juolevi’s recovery time is expected to be six months, it’s clear there was more to the injury than revealed. Normally the recovery time is a lot less for this type of procedure.
Benning didn’t provide additional details about Juolevi’s surgery, but a bucket-handle tear of the medial meniscus can be related to an anterior cruciate ligament tear.
On Dec. 3, Benning said he didn’t think Juolevi would require surgery and that the 20-year-old defenceman was expected back in the lineup by the end of the month.
Benning said Tuesday the latest news about the team’s 2016 first-round pick was, of, course, disappointing.
“He was playing well (before the injury),” Benning said. “He was playing in all situations.”
Juolevi was injured by a hit in a game for the Utica (N.Y.) Comets on Nov. 17.
According to Benning, the defenceman said the knee didn’t feel right afterward.
The Utica Observer-Dispatch’s Ben Birnell said Juolevi practised with the Comets on Nov. 20. He was scratched the next game, on Nov. 21, and TSN 1040’s Jeff Paterson reported it was only thought to be a “minor knock.”
However, the Canucks decided to fly him to Vancouver shortly thereafter.
Juolevi rehabilitated his knee “for a couple weeks” in Vancouver and had an MRI. He tried another brace just over a week ago and then skated a handful more times but still was feeling discomfort.
He flew to Colorado Monday to see a knee specialist.
“He (specialist) laid out the options,” Benning said. “We don’t want to take any chances. The best order of business was to get him ready for next year.”
And while Benning said the plan was for Juolevi to play a few NHL games in the second half of this season, the GM isn’t concerned about the path Juolevi is on.
“When we drafted him we knew he was a smart player,” he said. “We want to develop him properly. I wanted him to be ready for the NHL. He was working on a few things. This doesn’t change that plan.”