Speculation regarding Franzen's ailment

[St. Michael (the Red Wing) 422]

This isn't good. Hoping this doesn't become a bigger distraction in the future...

[Red Wings Addict 787]

Kind of reminds me of Ozzie's struggles during the 2008-2009 season in which teh internetz speculation pointed to alcoholism.

If the mental issues are true then I do feel sorry for him a little bit.

At the same time, he's got the money and access to the best kind of help possible for these kinds of issues. Now, I'm assuming that the "best kind of help possible" is effective for him, which it may not be. It's a very tricky field of treatment and healing.

[55fan 5,133]

What worries me is, if this is such a big problem and it is mental, he could very well retire early. And doesn't the team get shellacked if he retires?

Yes. As long as he is on LTIR, the team is better financially than if he just retires whether due to injury or just wanting to retire. The days of "ok, I'm done now- wipe me off the books" are over and done thanks to the last lock-out (which people seem to have forgotten even happened).

Pronger is a perfect example of this. Both the team and the player have acknowledged that he won't play again, but as long as he is on the books as LTIR, they are allowed to recoup salary as needed in order to get someone up to replace him.

With Mule, if he isn't on the team, part (not sure how much) of his salary still haunts us. As long as he is on LTIR, we can use up to his cap hit to replace him. Considering that his cap hit isn't all that high (comparatively speaking) it's almost as though he isn't there. It seems high compared to other years because the cap went down this year, which left us in a tighter bind than usual. Generally we have some to spare.

If he retires, we're financially screwed for the rest of his contract. If he goes LTIR, we can salvage things financially. The only point where it is an issue is at the start of the season where there is a day or two between pre-season and regular season where they have to lower the roster but don't count the LTIR guys. When that happens, we just send someone waiver-exempt down to GR on paper and bring them up again. We did it this season for Helm and Eaves.

Unfortunately, most people have never dealt with a mental illness and don't see it as the same thing as Helm's back or Eaves' concussion. Neither of those injuries had any sort of time-table for return. Neither was something that an x-ray or MRI could pinpoint precisely. Both were the sort of injury where the treatment depended entirely on how the player felt.

If Franzen is suffering from an illness of a mental sort (and I feel compelled to point out that we're all still SPECULATING), his treatment is just as difficult to foresee as the other guys' injuries.

In short, LTIR is better for him and the team if he can't play for the foreseeable future.

[Richdg 267]

While I am not a fan of Franzen the hockey player, I wish nothing but the best for Franzen the person. Good think he has plenty of resources to deal with this. But the RW are a business. They ned to find out asap the deal and make the correct moves. We have a buyout left for this coming summer. LTIR him now, then buy him out. No cap hits this way. get us off of the hook if he retires or even if he decides to play again. Time to cut bait. Maybe he just needs to go home and play there with less pressure and lime light.

[joshy207 156]

Compliance buyout is better than LTIR.

[thegerkin 189]

LET'S GO WINGS!!!

Edited November 11, 2013 by thegerkin

[fixxxer 11]

If Herschel Walker could play football with d.i.d., Franzen can accomplish what he has with anxiety.

Dissociative Identity Disorder is very rare in the mental health field that is actually quite an accomplishment for Mr.Walker and probably the only person to be able to pull that off. I'm still believing that Franzen doesn't have a mental illness and he just plays like crap. His illness is being a lazy hockey player.

*edit for a couple typos

Edited November 11, 2013 by fixxxer

[dirtydangles 1,328]

If this ailment is true, buying out Franzen may be the best for the team in the long run, and may be best for Franzen. He still walks away with a boatload of cash and he would no longer have to deal with the pressure of NHL hockey. If we LTIR him he can't do anything and is handcuffed to the organization for a good long while.

[55fan 5,133]

We can't use the compliance buy-out until summer. LTIR for now; buyout if it seems like the best option when we actually have the option.

If there's a chance that he'll be able to return, give him that chance. We didn't give up on Hank despite back and wrist problems that many said would cut his future career short, nor did we give up on Helm with all his back issues. No reason to give up on Franzen if there's a chance that he can be helped.

If it's better for him and the team to part ways, the compliance buy-out is the way to go. Until then, LTIR as long as he needs it.

[dirtydangles 1,328]

We can't use the compliance buy-out until summer. LTIR for now; buyout if it seems like the best option when we actually have the option.

If there's a chance that he'll be able to return, give him that chance. We didn't give up on Hank despite back and wrist problems that many said would cut his future career short, nor did we give up on Helm with all his back issues. No reason to give up on Franzen if there's a chance that he can be helped.

If it's better for him and the team to part ways, the compliance buy-out is the way to go. Until then, LTIR as long as he needs it.

Even if he had his affairs in order that contract is a disaster for the future. There is no way he plays it out. Before this info came out I was of the opinion that an amnesty buyout was the best option.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Unless there is some kind of confirmation about this it's hack journalism at its worst. About what I expect from Captain Cut-n-paste.

The recapture penalty on contracts signed under the last CBA is a steaming truckload of BS. It's just the owners who wouldn't/couldn't pay players punishing the ones who did. Unfortunately that's the rules now. If Franzen is going to play most of the deal I think they keep him. If it looks like he might retire soon they almost have to buy him out unless he really is going to retire and doesn't want to play back home. In that case the Pronger ltir solution is best.

[ogreslayer 1,069]

Unless there is some kind of confirmation about this it's hack journalism at its worst. About what I expect from Captain Cut-n-paste. The recapture penalty on contracts signed under the last CBA is a steaming truckload of BS. It's just the owners who wouldn't/couldn't pay players punishing the ones who did. Unfortunately that's the rules now. If Franzen is going to play most of the deal I think they keep him. If it looks like he might retire soon they almost have to buy him out unless he really is going to retire and doesn't want to play back home. In that case the Pronger ltir solution is best.

I wouldn't call it hack journalism given the fact that what he does isn't journalism to begin with. Regardless of whether there's a mental block there or not, that's not what's going to put Franzen in the crosshairs for a compliance buy out. The fact that he's on pace for a 32 point season & the Wings are potentially staring down the barrel of a recapture hit when (not if) he retires early is the reason his chances of being unemployed next June are increasing.

[LAWings 160]

Great, so not only is the Mule stubborn...but now he's nervous being in front of people?

[derblaueClaus 1,668]

http://redwings.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=22584

If it isn't a mental disease (as indicated by Mules reaction) what's the point in making Mules injury such a secret ? (Aside from freeing roosterspots with fake-injuries, which I don't believe the Wings will pull off.) And if it regardless is why are the playing him instead of giving him a proper treatment ? Very strange behaviour by Franzen and the Wings in this case. I'm curious to know what's behind this.

Edited November 11, 2013 by derblaueClaus

[55fan 5,133]

Ok, well. I guess it's not anxiety. I'm glad it's not mental. It's hard enough dealing with mental problems in general. I can't imagine dealing with it with cameras in your face.

Hope whatever's ailing him gets better.

[toby91_ca 620]

Corson developed panic attacks later in his career, but I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with his retirement. He battled through colitis his entire career and never had that get in his way. He played in '03/04, he was 39 when the season after the lockout started, so his age is what caused him to retire. He played way more games in the NHL than most players.

Shane Corson has a well documented and lengthy history with this disorder and it eventually ended his career.

[dirtydangles 1,328]

I'm glad its not mental. I would feel bad amnestying him if he had mental problems.

[puckloo39 5,686]

Good thing he's not hurt like Stamkos. We'd have to shoot him.

[BottleOfSmoke 5,965]

Good thing he's not hurt like Stamkos. We'd have to shoot him.

Ugh that was an ugly break. He looked like he was in so much pain! Mule would never show that much passion on the ice

[evilmrt 636]

Is it possible to loan him out to SEL for a month or two and see if that helps? Yeah, I know he'd have to clear waivers, yes I know its crazy. Just tell me if its possible or not.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

per Khan:

Franzen also laughed off speculation that he’s dealing with anxiety issues, something he had before he began his NHL career in 2005-06. He said that definitely is not the issue.

I still don't understand why he's being so mysterious about it.

Franzen still won’t reveal his issue, saying he will when it’s 100 percent.

“I’ll tell you Monday,’’ he said. “I thought I could tell you today but I couldn’t.’’

He said it’s nothing he’s had before.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2013/11/red_wings_johan_franzen_will_r_2.html

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Wait, I think I've figured it out.

Franzen said he’s been cleared to play after missing five of the past six games with an undisclosed upper-body injury or ailment. In his lone appearance during that time, Nov. 1 in Calgary, he left after two periods feeling nauseas.

He was feeling nauseous and missed a period. He's pregnant!

(And Khan needs to learn to spell nauseous).

[Kmahrle83 61]

Wait, I think I've figured it out.

He was feeling nauseous and missed a period. He's pregnant!

(And Khan needs to learn to spell nauseous).

Or to use spellcheck. And my guess was that franzen needed to get new hooves. His old ones were making him slow.

[Red Wings Addict 787]

Wait, I think I've figured it out.

He was feeling nauseous and missed a period. He's pregnant!

(And Khan needs to learn to spell nauseous).

And actually the correct term is 'nauseated' according to The Big Bang Theory, so it must be true.

[55fan 5,133]

Yeah, technically, nauseated.

Can we LTIR him for maternity leave? What about pregnancy? Isn't that covered in the new CBA?

Didn't the last lockout teach us ANYTHING? Weren't they supposed to fix every thing so that there'd never be another lockout? Or was that the lockout before that one? Dang Bettman can't get anything right!