The hits keep coming on the injury front around the league. Today, the Detroit Red Wings announced that Luke Glendening underwent ankle surgery and would be out for three to four months, putting his training camp and start of the season in jeopardy. The surgery repaired a torn tendon that was suffered when the forward broke his ankle late in the season.
It’s a tough start to the four-year extension Glendening inked last summer, which will pay him $1.8MM per season through 2020-21. Never much of an offensive threat, the 28-year old is coming off a disappointing season all the same. With just three goals, 14 points and terrible possession numbers, the only positive impact he had on the team was felt in the faceoff dot—where he continued to excel, winning 54% of his draws—and the penalty kill.
While a solid fourth-line center isn’t something to sneeze at, locking him in for four years seemed like the Red Wings were betting on the fact that he could grow into something more. Now as they face cap troubles despite their poor finish, Glendening will have to spend the summer rehabbing and try again to push past his career-high of 21 points.
Though it was unlikely that they would buy him out anyway, this injury likely prevents the Red Wings from even considering it. You can’t buy out injured players, and since even the low end of his recovery time takes him right into training camp he’ll make it through the summer unscathed.
Glendening earning 1.8 mill a year is a prime example of why the red wings missed the playoffs. He sucks.
He’s not a sniper, not a fighter or hitter, no PP or PK specialist grrrr stop with such bogus contracts