I’m going to be honest with all of you… there hasn’t been a lot to talk about lately regarding the Oilers injured players. This week I have another update for you on Tyler Benson, as well as some Tyler Pitlick and Andrew Ference chat. But MORE IMPORTANTLY, can we please talk about what happened to Marc Methot last night? 

I feel obligated to give you all a heads up that if you haven’t watched this video yet…. it’s a little graphic. I’d say it’s in between the Terror Tunes movie, and a paper cut on a scale of goriness. I actually even wonder if the camera man knew that he was on air when he zoomed in so close to the dangly finger. I didn’t think they would zoom in on this so closely while on air. Anyways, have a looksie below, then cash me underneath the video so we can break this down.

I don’t even know where to start with this.

A player using his stick as a weapon against another player is a play that we literally see every shift unfortunately. They come off as relatively harmless. Most of the time the slash is at the stick and sometimes it gets in the hand. It’s safe to say that you cannot skate end to end with the puck and NOT get slashed by someone.

Unfortunately what appears to be harmless slashes turn into injuries, like Johnny Gaudreau’s broken hand. But THIS…. Sidney Crosby literally cut a man’s finger off with his stick! Obviously he didn’t mean to do it…. but I’m just in awe at how it even happened. Was Crosby’s stick broken in the blade created a shard? Was Methot wearing a ring? Did he have a cut on his finger already and Crosby’s stick just found the groove?

It was tough timing for Sidney Crosby as just a game prior to this, he slashed Ryan O’Reilly right in the testicles… not a good week for Sid. I can understand the argument about the league not taking a look deeper into the O’Reilly slash, but c’mon, the Methot incidence is freakishly unlucky. Unless Sidney Crosby sharpens the bottom of his stick blade, he didn’t PURPOSELY try to chop Marc Methot’s finger off.

I agree that this idea of slashing guys in the hands needs to be stopped, and penalized more, but it oddly could have happened to anybody. I think we need to blame the slashing culture of the NHL more than just Sidney Crosby on this weird play. Until then, Marc Methot is on the IR with a missing finger for several weeks.

 

Last week I touched on the Tyler Benson injury and how he is once again missing a second half of a season. He’s been injury prone as ever which is making some people doubtful on whether or not we should have drafted him in the second round.

The mysterious injury that was assumed to be linked to his pubitis from last year, is no longer a mystery. Jim Matheson broke the news this week that Tyler Benson is currently dealing with a sports hernia. After seeing the Oilers medical staff, Benson is now deciding on whether or not to pursue surgery for the hernia.

Unfortunately it is confirmed that Benson is done for the year and depending on how his rehab goes, his summer and training camp may not be looking bright as well.

Tyler Pitlick is soon approaching his 100 day mark of appearing on my injury report. It feels like just yesterday I was entering his name in the report while crying simultaneously. I really wish Pitty was around to experience our huge playoff push. He was a huge part on the team when he was playing, and I hope his recovery is going smoothly.

Andrew Ference is still doing Andrew Ference things off the ice and in the city. I can barely remember what he looks like in an  Oilers jersey. He is two weeks away from spending a year and a half on the IR, which has to be close to an Oilers record if it already isn’t.

For any of YOUR injury needs, be sure to check them out. Visit their website or give them a call at (780) 466-1104.