what is Draper's injury

[clayjoh 3]

Does anyone have any scuttlebut from the street about the nature of Draper's injury?

Does anybody recall from the late season game how he was hit ? which game?

He's out practising and riding the bike even took warmups the other night before game one yet is considered not available

Seems a bit odd to me

Although when they say upper body injury in the playoffs that could mean a bruised ankle who knows

[under_par_00 45]

I dont know anything about it. It seems odd to me too.

I was watching WXYZ news a few nights ago before the playoffs start, and they showed Draper skating around in practice and then said he wouldnt play for games 1 or 2. They interviewed Draper and he seemed pissed off, and couldnt answer any of their questions. But he said he would be back for game 3.

Seems really strange to me....almost like he was benched by Babcock. How can they be so accurate on his return time? They seem sure that he will be back for game 3 ready to go.

[joshy207 156]

Could be a hand injury maybe, wouldn't prevent him from skating or riding the bike but it would be tough to take faceoffs and handle the puck.

Or, maybe it's just a coach's decision and they're saying it's an injury, to not embarass Draper. I really don't know why he would sit over Maltby or Kopecky, but he was interviewed on one of the local sportscasts before the first game and he was NOT HAPPY to say the least.

[CenterIce 83]

They had said initially that he was going to play in game 1, so it must be, as some said, an injury that made it hard to swing his stick, since he is skating. I don't think he would be a coach's scratch, since Babcock uses him for faceoffs, especially deep in the defensive zone.

[Eizzo03 0]

Maybe there is some strategy in keeping Draper out until the series moves to Columbus?

I like to think that Babcock, along with all the Wings, are all genius masterminds who control everything. Ozzie not having a great year to fool other teams into thinking he was awful, messing with the lines for the last 2 months so other teams couldn't see probable combinations as it got closer to the playoffs, keeping Draper a secret until they have to do faceoffs as the visiting team??? It's possible, right? haha

[j.hoop 64]

Maybe there is some strategy in keeping Draper out until the series moves to Columbus?

I like to think that Babcock, along with all the Wings, are all genius masterminds who control everything. Ozzie not having a great year to fool other teams into thinking he was awful, messing with the lines for the last 2 months so other teams couldn't see probable combinations as it got closer to the playoffs, keeping Draper a secret until they have to do faceoffs as the visiting team??? It's possible, right? haha

i wish people would stop saying this

[alienanxiety 23]

I too was thinking that this injury is just a way not to embarass draper. i think babs wants to go with his best players, and sadly, draper is not very good anymore. but he is such a great character guy that they would not want to make him look bad by sitting in the pressbox.

[Eizzo03 0]

i wish people would stop saying this

Sorry, I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I'm a HUGE Ozzie fan. I was more trying to make reference to other team's perception of him, not reality. My post was kinda tongue-in-cheek anyway since believing that Mike Babcock controls the entire NHL is pretty conspiracy theory-y. I don't want this to turn into a goalie thread!!!

[under_par_00 45]

Maybe there is some strategy in keeping Draper out until the series moves to Columbus?

This is pure speculation:

Maybe Babs only wants Drapers faceoff skills.....afterall other areas of his game have been lacking this season. When the series goes back to Columbus we won't have last change, so Babs wants to be able to roll 4 lines with good faceoff guys.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

Ah, this is the playoffs. No one is going to know any injuries to anyone until after it's all done. Don't want the enemy to know where a guy's been injured or if he really is inured. Remember this is WAR!!

[j.hoop 64]

Sorry, I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I'm a HUGE Ozzie fan. I was more trying to make reference to other team's perception of him, not reality. My post was kinda tongue-in-cheek anyway since believing that Mike Babcock controls the entire NHL is pretty conspiracy theory-y. I don't want this to turn into a goalie thread!!!

i didnt want to either, i just thought it was bad luck ! no harm done like many here, we were still ozzy fans just a little worried, but im glad to see his performance last game, he was stellar. i do believe in the idea that we saved our hits for the playoffs though

[finalfilppula 2]

he wants a full beard before he hits the ice.

[Vladifan 680]

Maybe there is some strategy in keeping Draper out until the series moves to Columbus?

I like to think that Babcock, along with all the Wings, are all genius masterminds who control everything. Ozzie not having a great year to fool other teams into thinking he was awful, messing with the lines for the last 2 months so other teams couldn't see probable combinations as it got closer to the playoffs, keeping Draper a secret until they have to do faceoffs as the visiting team??? It's possible, right? haha

I'd say almost anything's possible. Used to be that way with Bowman, that's fer sure.