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DETROIT, MICH — As if things couldn’t get much worse, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland told beat writers that forward Tomas Jurco is doubtful to start the regular season:
Per Ken Holland, Red Wings F Tomas Jurco has had minor back surgery (hurt self working out), 4-6 weeks of doing nothing, then month rehab.
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) August 24, 2016
Jurco, 23, has been dealing with ailing back issues over the past year, and it finally came back to bite him. Factoring in 4-6 weeks of no physical activity, one month of rehab, then conditioning, I’d say that Jurco’s availability for game one of the regular season is very much doubtful. This all coming after the news broke about Niklas Kronwall declining to compete in the World Cup of Hockey due to a knee injury, which, oddly enough, has been an issue in the past as well.
With players going down with injuries, the upside is that the logjam will be loosened up, and there will be more room for younger players to show what they have. The Red Wings have multiple players who are waiver-eligible. Names like Ryan Sproul, and Martin Frk could finally see their shot with the NHL club.