Juolevi expected for camp despite surgery
Defenceman to undergo minor surgery to correct issue with disc in lower back
Jim Benning has reason to believe that injured Olli Juolevi will be ready for main training camp.
The Vancouver Canucks’ prospect defenceman suffered a lower-back disc ailment during offseason training and will have a microdiscectomy procedure that could sideline the fifth-overall pick in the 2016 draft for eight to 10 weeks.
Several NHL players have recovered within that timeline after the same minor surgery — a minimally invasive procedure on a disc to relieve pressure on the spinal nerve column — and Benning said Monday that there was no reason to assume there’s a bigger problem here.
“It’s just a minor surgery. He should be up and going in four to six weeks,” the Canucks’ general manager said of the initial timeline before he can resume training. “They are pretty simple operations now and it’s a bit of a setback, but he’s just going to have to train harder at the end of the summer to be ready to go.”
If Juolevi requires the maximum 10 weeks for a full recovery and to be ready to challenge for a roster spot, that will take him to late August. It would still leave a threeweek period to push his training and there’s evidence that his recovery shouldn’t take longer.
In the 2010-11 season, Alex Edler was labouring through back stiffness. An open-ice hit by Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars on Jan. 24 was thought to be the shot that caused a herniated disc that required a microdiscectomy. The Canucks defenceman missed 10 weeks.
Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise had a microdiscectomy on Oct. 24 to repair a herniated disc — he aggravated a previous back injury in training camp — because it caused corresponding weakness and pain.
After nearly a month of rest and recovery, he was allowed to train. He was back doing basic skating drills Nov. 30, before returning to the lineup Jan. 2.
The Canucks have six defencemen under contract and two restricted free agents in Derrick Pouliot and Troy Stecher. They are also loaded with left-shot blue-liners in Edler, Michael Del Zotto, Pouliot, Juolevi, Ben Hutton and Ashton Sautner.
Juolevi, 20, was challenged to improve his fitness and compete level by TPS Turku assistant coach Sami Salo in the elite SM-liiga. Often appearing either cocky or confident — or somewhat aloof — he doesn’t lack bravado.
“You have to try and be confident,” Juolevi told Postmedia News. “If you’re not, you can’t do what you need to do to show your best. I like to be with the puck and if you have no confidence, it looks pretty bad.”
Juolevi responded with a strong second half and finished with 19 points (7-12) in 38 games in his first pro season. The six-foot-three, 183-pound Finn was then lauded as one of the club’s top playoff performers with seven points (2-5) in 11 games. He got pucks on net, anchored the power play and looked like he belonged.
“Sami was happy with his development,” added Benning. “It was a good setup for him. He played less games at the start and was in the weight room three times a week. He got bigger and stronger without losing his speed.”
OVERTIME: Benning has been linked to various rumours regarding the upcoming draft, including parting with the seventh-overall pick to immediately improve his club via trade. But he knows there should also be a pair of prime defence prospects available when he selects. “We have cap space available and we’ll look at that, but at No. 7, we’re getting a real good player and we’d be really happy with that player,” stressed the GM.
It’s bit of a setback, but he’s just going to have to train harder at the end of the summer to be ready to go.