Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reaves
Jamie Drysdale’s tenure as a Flyer can be characterized as up and down. Low’s, the lows being on the injured list again, but he still remained a fan favorite in Philadelphia for good reason. He’s only 22-years-old, and the sky is the limit for this young defenseman who was thrusted into the NHL right away at the age of 18. For his efforts, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy, thus Drysdale hasn’t played many games in the NHL. He knows this, and he looks Forward to being healthy for an 82-game season, “I feel good, bodies feeling good for the first time in a while. Looking forward to a full 82,” Drysdale said at training camp.
Drysdale said his focus this past offseason was going to ensure that some of these injuries don’t happen again. The medical staff and he appeared to work on physical conditioning, while rehabilitating from his core muscle surgery that he had on April 29th or May 1st, “I’ve been in Philly since the surgery on April 29th or May 1st,” Drysdale said. “The staff (Medical Staff), I can’t thank them enough for the amount of work they put in. Full year job for them. Big thanks to them for making me feel the way I feel now.”
It’s great to hear the medical staff has improved, vastly, as opposed to a few years ago where it was a mess. Flyers’ General Manager Danny Briere and John Tortorella alike worked hard and tirelessly to bring in a medical staff that the players can trust, and rehabilitate properly to bring them back to the player they used to be. It’s great to hear good stories like this, as Drysdale thanked the entire medical staff and Athletic Trainers for their efforts this past offseason.
Everyone appreciates honesty, and maybe that’s why most fans are gravitating towards this young man. The surgery was a big one, but Drysdale skated just fine yesterday. It didn’t look like he was laboring or in any pain at all wearing the bag skate, “Your legs feel like stone…It’s mental. In the same token I think it brings everyone together, it sucks,” Drysdale said of the bag skate. Even Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella commended Drysdale for finishing the way he did.
Unfortunately, Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella Said today that Drysdale was a bit banged up. What he didn’t allude to was the fact the Flyers have now officially placed him on IR (Injured Reserve).
I do not know the extent of his injury, nor do I know if it’s upper or lower body. All I can say is that he has been officially been placed on IR.
