Flyers prospect Samuel Morin should recover fully from latest ACL tear, expert says
A second torn ACL doesn't mean the defenseman's career is over.
After he undergoes surgery for a second torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, Flyers prospect Samuel Morin will have another grueling rehab ahead of him, but he should not have any limitations when he returns, a local expert says.
Dr. Brian Sennett, chief of sports medicine for the University of Pennsylvania Health System, said chances are “relatively good” that Morin will eventually be back to 100% after the second operation and a long rehab.
“You would definitely keep him out for about nine months. That’s kind of the magic number,” Sennett said in a phone interview. “It’s about the amount of time [the Eagles] kept Carson Wentz out, and it’s pretty standard for a professional athlete.”
Morin, 24, selected by the Flyers in the first round of the 2013 draft, suffered his latest ACL injury while playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last week. He was with the AHL team on a conditioning stint.
The 6-foot-7, 230-pound defenseman will have surgery after the swelling in the knee subsides. It’s the second time in 18 months he has suffered the injury.
If Morin has the surgery around Dec. 1, he should be ready around Sept. 1 and be able to participate in training camp next season, based on Sennett’s estimate.
“You’re not only waiting to get your muscle strength back and the ligament healing, but you’re also waiting to get that upper-end cutting, pivoting, agility, and response time" before returning, Sennett said. “For the professional athlete, that’s typically nine months. It really sets him up that you would expect him to be ready for camp next year.”
Sennett said it’s “always tough on athletes” when they are injured early in a season, “but it takes a little pressure off to be ready for the next season.”
According to Sennett, one in about 20 patients tears an ACL a second time.
Former Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford and Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri are among the athletes who have come back from two torn ACLs in the same knee.
“Those were a couple years ago,” Fabbri told the Detroit Free Press after he was traded to the Red Wings last week, referring to his surgeries. “I feel great out there, and it’s not even on my mind when I am playing.”
Breakaways
The Flyers (!) began Wednesday tied for the most shootout wins in the NHL. ... Entering Wednesday the Flyers were ninth in the NHL in high-danger scoring opportunities (52.4%), according to Natural Stat Trick. ... Coach Alain Vigneaut said assistant Michel Therrien likes to change the power-play personnel occasionally, such as flip-flopping Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov on the first two units, to force opponents to prepare for different looks. ... Vigneault called Matt Niskanen a quiet leader and said he was having a big impact on his defensive partner, Provorov.