Vinny: I'll be ready for opener

Caught up with Vinny Lecavalier the other day, and the Lightning's superstar center, coming off arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, said he is skating in his native Montreal and has no doubt he will be ready for training camp. As for being cleared for contact and being ready to start the regular season, he said, "I'm sure I'll be ready to play."

The key is being cleared for contact. By the time training camp starts, Lecavalier will have healed for five months. That, according to his understanding, is the quickest he can be cleared.

"Once training camp starts, basically I would be allowed full contact," Lecavalier said. "But the first days I would want to build confidence. Even though it might be good, it can still get very sore. One step at a time."

The steps have been long and grueling since Lecavalier sustained a torn glenoid labrum in what was supposed to be his last game of the season, April 3 at Washington. Lecavalier, you recall, was supposed to have arthroscopic surgery to repair his sore right wrist, an operation Lecavalier's agent Kent Hughes on Monday said is"off the table at this point". Lecavalier was going to skip the final game against the Thrashers. He missed it all right, but after his shoulder was hurt on a questionable check by Washington's Matt Cooke. He had surgery April 15.

Lecavalier said the first time he skated he had a stick in his hand and felt "terrible. It didn't feel like where I wanted to be. I couldn't shoot. I was like, 'Oh, my god, I'm not feeling right.' Not to be able to shoot like I normally can was disappointing."

He said he has skated five or six times since.

"It's not 100 percent, but it's getting better and my shots are getting better," Lecavalier said.

In addition to rehabbing, Lecavalier bought a house he said is about 30  minutes from downtown Montreal. And he recently took a week off from rehab for a getaway  with long-time girlfriend Caroline Portelance. But clearly his days mostly have been taken up with rehab.

"With a shoulder injury like this, you do something for the first time and haven't done it in a while, it feels terrible," Lecavalier said. "But the second time it's way better. It's like the first time I did a push-up four weeks ago; oh, my god. But the next day I could have done 10. You just build your shoulder and confidence about not getting hurt again. You have to be careful. ... I'm still getting stronger and building it up, but I'm way better than the first day, so I'm excited."   

Comments

[ajax]

I wrote the same thing, asking the million dollar question, what has he really accomplished?? I am just sweeter with the pen and refuse to attack anyone personally. The key is the over and over and over number. 38 years old. 19+ minutes a game for a horrible Toronto team. He ain't the Messiah(may never have been) but for sure, he ain't the straw that stirs the drink at 38. Just my humble(wrong) opinion. And one mighty expensive straw at that.

[léo]

Don't tell Toranna that, Steve; you see their latest signing?
Ajax, check this out,
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/50923-matt-sundin-tempers-flare-up-on-bleacher
Not as a source of insight but as a beautifully coordinated attack on Sundin and the hype around him. A very mad Ranger fan.
Well premeditated. Direct. Breathless. Vicious.
Brilliant.
Enjoy.
PD, stay away. Objective minds only.
P.

[Steve R]

Leafs are not going to suck enough to be in the running for Tavares.

[ajax]

And Sundin is?, plllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeee.
I have never seen a player so touted/revered with so little accomplished on his career resume. His greatest stat is his longevity. If you play enough and have enough 31 goal seasons you accumulate some good numbers. I don't want to lower myself and say Sundin hasn't been a very good NHL player, but nothing suggests greatness, individual or team. In the last two years Vinny has accomplished as much as anyone in hockey but why the negativity?? Mats is loved in Canada and has lived there his entire life. Vinny is hailed in Canada and lives in Tampa, FL. That right their is a huge difference in the superlatives thrown around town.

[PD]

But leo, that's you in a nut shell, so to speak.

[léo]

PD,
You SHOULDA kept the injured Toskala out, you mighta gotten Stammy instead of 13th place, though Schenn ain't bad, wouldn't you say? Maybe a little "mission-accomplished" there? That's num1.
Num2 is me saying "gonna do", not "did" à propos Toranna. I was talkin' about TB.
TB completely fizzled out, for whatever reasons, and got Stammy. "did".
I comapared that to what Toranna is "gonna do": completely fizzle out and get Tavares. "gonna do".
Two separate and different points, based in time.
Except Toranna's "whatever reasons" are BLATANTLY more defined, to all non-leafers of course. If you weren't delusional in THAT aspect, I'm sure you would agree with EVERYTHING I say, and not just the parts that don't concern YOU.
Gotta love leafers, Ajax.
In the same breath PD says we make the same point but I make no sense.
Funny.
P.

[PD]

He's not Steve Yzerman Ajax, nuff said.

[ajax]

PD on opening night I will buy you a beer. You will be easy to spot. The guy wearing the Home Maple Leaf Jersey with Sundin on the back, a "C" on the front, holding up a huge sign with large black letters:
"Trade Vinny, Bring Mats to Tampa"
Of course Leo will be easy to spot with his Red and Blue "Artiste" jersey. PD, exactly what more would Vinny have to do to prove himself to ya??

[Pd]

"So you switched Brad for Malone and threw some extra bodies in there. Old and almost-finished extra bodies but extra bodies nonetheless".

Kinda my point too.

On the Leafs, tough to tank with Toskala in the net. If they had kept Raycroft you would have made some sense.

[léo]

No that's it.
I got the answer I was looking for cuz we ALL realized it last year and we all blogged about it.
There was NO ONE else!
It was either V4 or the zamboni driver. Who would you rather have on PK? Or on PP? Or in the final minutes? Or to take a face-off? There was no one else. What was Tortie supposed to do? What could ANY coach do? Well, you do like Toranna's gonna do, tank it for the 1st pick in the coming draft...which YOU DID! Without SEEMING to tank it, which is even better.
Some could therefor argue that being able to recognize early the stankness of this year's edition, TB management was "savvy" in its "efforts" to obtain Stammy. Relax, I'm not saying you did but the final EFFECT has you all STRUTTING, yes or no?
Cuz an extra 4 minutes a game to Sundin, compounded after 41 games, and OF COURSE it will take its toll. But as I recall, though some of you DID see that one day, V4 would crack under the work-load, most of you realized that if you played anybody else, you'd get run over. And no one wants to get run over.
"Fatigue", we are talking about now. Common sense.
So you switched Brad for Malone and threw some extra bodies in there. Old and almost-finished extra bodies but extra bodies nonetheless.
So are you satisfied that V4 will NOT suffer from fatigue this year?
And Ajax,
PD says I'm dead on cuz he agrees in that particular case. I will revert to being "ignorant about hockey" the second he no longer does agree.
Tis the nature of the leaf.
P.

[PD]

Funny Ajax you never mention plus/minus.

One of those Bolts plays his a** off everynight, the other waits at the blueline for the breakout pass.

Fear not the country club is back with Melrose.

[ajax]

PD and Leo in cahoots, who woulda thought of it. It was a terribly long and draining year in Tampa, agreed?? If not, please enroll in Psyche 101. Marty shut it off also, so in your analogies make sure to include him as a slacker also, but please factor in that they (and not Toronto) were the worst team in hockey. Also factor in they were playing the most minutes in hockey. Also factor in they were the number one penalty killers on this painfully thin team. They went far and above the call of duty in my humble opinion(and yet shockingly were called out on numerous occasions for not giving enough) Oh my gosh, there were a zillion factors that Mats didn't have to deal with. Oh yeah, also factor in that even though they shut it down with 20 games to play they both still out scored Mats in goals and assists. Last year, somehow doesn't need an apology from Vinny (and Marty) I think they left every single ounce of energy on the ice for a coach who still thought they needed to give just another few ounces of pain!!
Think of drudging to work in a job you hate and a boss you hate and then multiply it times 100, and that is what you had in Tampa last year. Remember a guy named Brad Richards who made the comment, he felt like he was let out of jail, well Marty and Vinny did hard time last year, it was no pampered superstars I assure you. They were Superman and Torts was kryptonite!!!
PS. They both averaged 4 minutes a night more than Sundin. They both killed penalties every other shift for 80 games. 4 minutes extra is brutal, anyone who knows hockey knows what 4 minutes(6/8 extra shifts by the way) will do to your legs. Multiply 4 minutes times 80 games, with the average player playing 20 minutes(average Forward) and you see Marty and Vinny played 16 more games than most players (they were deep into the playoff run before it ever started, time wise)
Anywho, to get out the microscope on the "effort" of those two, is "looking for problems"

[PD]

Just say it Leo cuz you are dead on.

[Tackleberry]

This is in from THN:
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but the Tampa Bay Lightning will name Vincent Lecavalier their captain sometime in the coming weeks, a Bolts official told The Hockey News.

Its about time! It was either V4 or MSL.

Cant wait to get back from Qatar. Who would have thought that Qatar has a mall with an Olympic size skating rink. Should have brought my skates.

[léo]

Ok.
So V4 slowed down during the 2nd half because the whole team had quit for Tortie and V4 could no longer PROFIT from other players, is that right?
In other words, V4 himself has nothing to do with V4's PLAY, is that what I'm hearing?
Little comparaison,
Sundin didn't "slow down" last year. Why not? Older and slower than V4, yet consistent all year through on a team that ain't much more advanced than yours, imo.
No, no, no; there was a MARKED difference between V4's play in 1st and 2nd halves of the season whereas Sundin, no.
How come?
Paul Maurice? Darcy Tucker? Keys to the kingdom, those? Give V4 guys like that and he woulda been consistent all season through?
What gives?
P.

[Twinebulge]

Vinny getting the C, there's the shocker of the summer. I was thinking Jason Ward. Way to scoop it TSN

"IF there was something that needed fixing on the wrist, you would think that the mechanics would have done it while the car was on the hoist, no?"

That's right: no. The reason boils down to rehab.

This isn't a car with parts you just take off and throw in the garbage and bolt new ones on. With the wrist and shoulder injuries on the same side as in this case, the rehab of each joint would have been utterly sabotaged by the surgery and resulting weakness in the other. As the shoulder is the joint with the worse injury, by far the greater range of motion, and the much larger muscles to bring back up to mass, it took instant precedence over a wrist that can be made to serve with less flexibility. That wrist will get rehabbed even more than it already is as the season goes on. Hope he doesn't need surgery on that puppy midway, though, that would intensely suck

[PD]

Makes sense Flasher if he got Melrose the gig.
Wrong guy I think, I'd put it on Marty.

[PD]

No promises Ajax, but on Feasty, its Kumbaya.

Where we still disagree is with the Koules approach.

We have lost two dollars, (Richards,Boyle) and picked up 8 quarters to borrow Leo's analogy.

We have no defence and not much beween the pipes.

I would have done it much differently but couldn't afford to buy the team and get to play sports monopoly.

[Boltflasher]

THN reporting that Vinny about to be re-anoited with the "C"...

[ajax]

11:31 pm August 25th, in the year of our Lord 2008. Mark it down, PD and I finally agree on something. PD you are relatively new to the blog. I have written for near two years that Jay Feaster (very nice man) single handedly destroyed this franchise. Although, you know deep down that Torts gave his 110% blessing on the 7.8 mil large that was given out to the next Gretzky. Either way I am soooo glad Feaster is gone and the collateral damage of Torts was necessary, because losing made him a MANIAC. Without the new owners, I guarentee Feaster would of done nothing with players, minors, scouts, or Torts. I probably would of done the unthinkable and not renewed (I am a season ticket holder since the fairgrounds) On the bright side, I feel good that we have made huge strides in our relationshop PD. Keep agreeing with me and I will put you back on the top of my Xmas list. Leo and his stinking Shabs just got bumped.
Can you hear me singing myself to sleep, "GO LEAFS GO, GO LEAFS GO"

[PD]

Come on Ajax you know better.

Take your bitterness out on Jay Feaster. He was the one who let the roster atrophy, not Chilly Pepper

[ajax]

Maybe they were playing on the worse team in hockey and playing the most minutes in hockey and playing the hardest minutes in hockey (how many other top 10 scorers in the league are killing penalties in meaningless games, for an idiot coach) The whole team quit on Tortorella, so I guess they all must be bums. The smell of fresh air will go a long long way with many, MANY, of the holdovers from last year. PD couldn't disagree with your comment about Torts anymore than this little typewriter would allow. We had an awesome team that year. Yes, he was apart of it. But in 3 short years we have 2 players left off that team. The perfect retort to your claim is with the same coach we were the worse team in hockey. Couldn't of done that without Torts either PD. Smile PD, this is suppose to be fun. Good night to all in Bolt Land!!

[mary]

maybe he slowed down because his wrist was getting worse? and that one of his linemates got traded,and Marty also slowed down??

whatever, Im happy to hear that he is doing better, and that he'll be ready for camp.

[PD]

Rather good Q. Leo

IF there was something that needed fixing on the wrist, you would think that the mechanics would have done it while the car was on the hoist, no?

[léo]

Don,
"Brad Richards", "Vinny Prospal", "then his wrist", then "Matt Cooke".
WITHOUT laying blame on others, I said. Are you saying that without those guys, he's a regular shmoe?
He's a Star. This guy's fault, that guys's fault, c'mon. This is V4 we're talkin' about.
Why did the Star slow down in the 2nd half?
The wrist? When exactly did that start bothering him? Cuz the Cooke hit was delivered pretty late in the season when your die were pretty much cast, if I recall.
He'd slowed down before then.
How come?
P.

[PD]

Bitchy, bitchy Ajax

No Tortorella no cup, that's a no brainer/

[ajax]

None of us were coming back if Torts stayed, the guy lost it. The coach with the awesome resume got one job interview in 7 vacancies and was the first one crossed off the list. TGod "Hollywood" had the sense to send him and Jaybird packing post haste. Thank-you if Vinny if you finally said what everyone in section 126 has been saying for two years!!! falling faster, pd, but still loving ya!!!

[Pd]

Sounds like Leo hit a nerve, a big one.

Vinny's willingness to be a pro not a floater was what almost got him traded. Torts made him the player he is/was.
Sure hope there is no confirmation that V4 said he wasnt coming back if Torts was here because that would put a rather fine point on what Leo is hinting.

Don, Primeau was the best player in that Philly series by far. He almost won it for them too except Tamp's real cup hero, Habby, stopped him on a clean breakway with the score 1-1 late.

[ajax]

I was typing while you were posting, and supporting Vinnie, my bad, we crisscrossed posts. You are back to being my number one blogger(har har) PD, fading fast.

[Don in St. Pete]

Well there's a couple of reasons V4 slacked off at the end of last season. First off his best friend Brad Richards got traded to Dallas and his friend and linemate Vinny Prospal got traded to Philly. Then his wrist which was scheduled for surgery didn't get repaired because of the blind side, dirty hit from Matt Cooke, which caused a rotator cuff tear in his shouldered which is more severe. V4 will be back kicking some sHAB @$$ and taking names. The sHabs will be lucky to finish third in the east and Leo knows it, so give the guy a break....he's crying inside.

[léo]

I JUST finished explaining the difference and you promptly get upset, Ajax. I'm NOT suggesting V4 didn't show up in 2004. He CERTAINLY did. I was THERE. I SAW it, remember? HE was the BEST of TB in Our series against ya, I can say. (Don't know about the others) What I AM suggesting, is that SINCE then, the supporting cast wasn't as solid as it was in 2004, leaving HIM the lone Man of the team.
Now everyone looks up to HIM. "Whadda we do now, boss?" because he's the Man and no one else isn't.
Like Sundin.
Whom We would LOVE to have.
But not for his "morale" cuz THAT part of Our team is taken care of. Didn't Bourque fit in nicely in Colorado? "Hey, Ray, we need you to come over and show some Manly Backbone on this team cuz these clowns Sakic and Forsebrg and Roy aren't cuttin' it." C'mon.
Let's cut to the chase here Ajax,
Why did V4 slow down in the 2nd half this year?
It's got nothing to do with "disappearing", has it? It's more, perhaps, "resignation"? Morale.
As for L'Artiste, what exactly are you trying to accomplish? Trying to make me say, "Oh my gosh, you're right, he's terrible, all his plays are the fruit of cosmic alterations of reality, his 37 goals are in ACTUALITY merely 6.2, he's worth less than every other player in the world, all my love and respect for the guy is disappearing under the weight of all-important stats, I feel tears welling up, and, and, and, boo-hoo-hoo! Oh, boo-hoo-hoo-hoooonk! Oh, forsooth! Oh! Oh, what wasted times and hopeless dreams spent on this fabricator...whom I now hate with all the might of a jilted partisan!" ? Ok then.
Satisfied?
And I also say Kovy gets 19pts this year, ok? And that V4 will be better, better, better and it'll make Kovy cry.
Cool?
Sheesh.
P.

[ajax]

Leo what are you trying to suggest about Vinnie and 2004?? He didn't show up?? They all showed up. He had 9 goals and 7 assists. The high for the whole playoffs was 12 goals. Maybe I lost something in translation.
Speaking of not showing up, I looked up the last 3 years of VL4 versus the "Artiste" Kind of comical stat.
NON-Powerplay goals over the last 3 years.
Vincent 88 goals
Artiste 41 goals (a certain Leaf, 58)
Maybe the Artiste should show up more and then he could help his team get to the Holy Grail before he retires, or is traded to the Panthers to finish is underachieving career. Peace.
PS Vinny has more even strength goals the last three years than the Artiste has total goals. Like I said, kinda comical.
Think milliseconds, how fast Montreal would package the fadiing Artiste for the indomitable Vincent LeCavalier.

[léo]

Ok, Don. That's fine. Hey, I witnessed some of that. V4, personally, wiped Us out 2 games out've the 4-game sweep. Granted, We sucked, but still.
But at the time, 2004, Brad was roaring, your 3rd liners were controlling and Khabi was stopping. A very good crew giving V4 LOTSA chances to succeed, not the other way around.
Since V4 took over after that, he has done a splendid job in my book...with an undercaliber team. His morale never NEEDED to be put to the test so it's never been an issue.
And of course, before anyone gets upset, I don't mean "morale" as "moral fiber" or "mental toughness" or "non-chokinicity". I mean "morale" as in Mats Sundin morale. As in "I will do whatever I can to be the best in the world and do my part to better the team but I do not have Rage. I won't be ASHAMED to lose. I am content to never succeed as long as we all try really hard to win."
Does V4 fit into that mold? Y'all know him better than I do; you tell me.
I'll never dispute his accomplishments, Don; the guy's a Star.
But the question WAS,
Why DID he slow down so much in the 2nd half last season? As pertaining to HIM alone, the Star, and not attaching fault to the supporting cast.
Gretzky could play 4 on 5 the WHOLE game with two donkeys and a mule and STILL finish +1. Fuhr in net of course.
Why did V4 slow down if not morale?
P.

[Don in St. Pete]

Leo, a fair question in my book, and no he wasn't really tested that year until the East Final against Philly, but during that series, Vinny proved he was one of the elite. After an embarassing 6-2 loss in game two V4 came out and crushed anything that moved, but especially Keith Primeau. Although V4 didn't score that many goals, his physical play cleared space on the ice so his teammates could. He litterally picked us up and carried us on his back against Philly. My feeling is if they're any questions we have 4 extra forwards on the roster. Let V4 sit ( against contact ) until we get to Prague.

[léo]

That IS a good question.
Once everything is said and done, loss of Boyle, Tortie troubles, goalie troubles, the defense's breakdown, his fault, your fault, my fault, yakkity-yak...
Why DID V4 slow down so much in the 2nd half? (even though he's a great player, don't get me wrong) So how come?
Can it be, dare I say, loss of Morale?
He re-signed, so he DOES see a bright future in TB. He DEFINITELY wants to play in TB.
But if his Morale is put to the test in difficult times? Hm. Consider 2004: Was he REALLY hindered in any way during that run? I don't know; you tell me.
Fair question, I think.
Interesting.
P.

[PD]

Congrats Skp for the understatement of the year.

[skp]

yikes, no wrist surgery? vinny was a shell of the player he was in the first half of the season once that wrist injury started becoming an issue....i hope the rest was all that was needed, it's a long season, and even though he & 2 or 3 other guys won't have to completely carry this year's team like in the past, but if the injury causes him to fade out as the season wears on, that's a serious problem for this team.

[Hockey Chic]

Glad to hear Vinny is doing better and better. Just remember to be patient and try not to do to much to fast.

Rehab sucks but what is worse is over doing as it seems you pay for that much more.

Hang in there Vinny. The fans cannot wait to see all the fellas. Go Bolts!!

[HockeyBay.com]

An awesome Monreal Native that now calls Tampa home! See No Vinny for Habs Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns8TalvyZlA

[Stacey]

Apparently D.C. can read my mind b/c I have been wondering about Vinny recently. Uh, yeah, I agree w/ you Don. I hope he'll be ok. I'm sure he will but it's hard to read Vinny say that taking a shot felt terrible. Makes me want to throw-up a little.

[Don in St. Pete]

I'm relieved Vinny is on track to be ready to start the season. It may be prudent to hold him out of contact for a few days.