[News] Huberdeau to undergo hip resurfacing surgery, done for the season

[ComixZone]

Conroy’s interview with Pat and Wes tells the whole story.

Huby ultimately made the decision last week it was time to get the surgery, after trying alternatives all year to keep playing.

Conroy openly saying they were always going to support Huby with whatever decisions he wanted to make.

So hey, we’re not Buffalo West! That right there is a pretty clear line that defines us as better than them, in a notable way.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by redmile04

Stromgren hopefully with a proper chance, have that feeling that if we don't utilize him properly and give him an actual opportunity with minutes.... he will succeed elsewhere, wouldn't be the first time..

Other Bennett, who really succeeded elsewhere?

It’s very rare cause after 5 years, teams know what they have

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Conroy was on 960 and reiterated how tough the surgery is. Said that electing for the surgery wasn’t just a hockey decision but a major life decision, which is why the Flames were leaving it entirely up to Huberdeau and supporting him however they could.

Said Huberdeau and his doctors were also trying out some things to avoid the surgery (injections, other methods).

Fair.

Given:
1. He's not the first player to get this surgery
2. He's a $10m+ asset to the franchise
3. If we were in a rebuild, we should not be trying to push every ounce out of our line up
4. His play has been weak for awhile, it took over 1/2 the season to make a call to take him out

Where was the upside for this decision? He plays himself out of it?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

Fair.

Given:
1. He's not the first player to get this surgery
2. He's a $10m+ asset to the franchise
3. If we were in a rebuild, we should not be trying to push every ounce out of our line up
4. His play has been weak for awhile, it took over 1/2 the season to make a call to take him out

Where was the upside for this decision? He plays himself out of it?

The upside is avoiding a pretty serious surgery with uncertain outcomes, both for his hockey career and potentially quality of life overall.

I don't think people understand why avoiding surgery is always an option that should be considered unless you've lived through one that didn't go well.

Surgeries don't always go as planned.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

I'd assume it's because it's the exact playbook we took with Monahan.

Second Surgery (April 2022): Monahan was shut down by the Calgary Flames for season-ending surgery on his right hip, which was the opposite side of his previous procedure.

Previous Surgery (May 2021): Monahan previously underwent a season-ending procedure to repair his left hip.

It reeks of "let's see how the season goes and make a decision later...we might be in the playoff hunt". Which is also a behavior that causes A LOT of discussion on this forum between the "Conroy has a plan / vision" camp and the "There is no plan and the players have been dictating the direction of the club" side.

How can it be the exact playbook when the surgeries required are not the same?

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Conroy’s interview with Pat and Wes tells the whole story.

Huby ultimately made the decision last week it was time to get the surgery, after trying alternatives all year to keep playing.

Conroy openly saying they were always going to support Huby with whatever decisions he wanted to make.

So hey, we’re not Buffalo West! That right there is a pretty clear line that defines us as better than them, in a notable way.

I think you've made a great point here, however, I would argue there is some nuance.

Buffalo was against a NEW kind of surgery that the player was going to try over the old method. The players reasoning was that the new method would be better now and in later life. Buffalo countered that the old method was a known outcome. They blocked Eichel from getting the new surgery on a risk basis.

Both of the above structurally solved the problem.

In the case of Huberdeau, his alternative methods were not a structural fix. They were pain management and mitigation in hopes of solving or delaying a solve for the underlying issue. In a sport where father time is a big factor, as well as timing your rosters contention window or in our case draft window, I'd counter that the team mismanaged their risk of this asset by allowing him to play past November.

Blocking a pain mitigation attempt for a structural fix is different than blocking a structural fix for another structural fix. So I'd say we're more like Buffalo West for mismanaging this outcome.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The upside is avoiding a pretty serious surgery with uncertain outcomes, both for his hockey career and potentially quality of life overall.

I don't think people understand why avoiding surgery is always an option that should be considered unless you've lived through one that didn't go well.

Surgeries don't always go as planned.

Agree...they don't always go as planned. Lots of guys go through life without getting their ACL repaired. However they're not top caliber athletes.

Surgery is almost part of the job description in the case of an athlete.

[Jiri Hrdina]

So you feel like you can conclude that absent most of the information and assuming somehow you know better than the player and their medical professionals?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

Agree...they don't always go as planned. Lots of guys go through life without getting their ACL repaired. However they're not top caliber athletes.

Surgery is almost part of the job description in the case of an athlete.

All surgeries are not the same
They have different risk profiles

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

How can it be the exact playbook when the surgeries required are not the same?

Can you please clarify how you feel the outcomes and major points of the surgery differ enough to classify them differently for the context of this discussion?

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

All surgeries are not the same
They have different risk profiles

In your opinion what is the difference in risk profile that you would consider has enough statistical difference to change your decision?

[Reggie Dunlop]

How soon will it be before Huberdeau can drive his custom Nissan Armada from Okotoks Nissan onto Saddledome ice and offer Kelly Hrudey a ride?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

Can you please clarify how you feel the outcomes and major points of the surgery differ enough to classify them differently for the context of this discussion?

I’m not pretending to be a medical expert
I assume the medical staff considered these elements to guide the decisions

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

In your opinion what is the difference in risk profile that you would consider has enough statistical difference to change your decision?

Again unlike you I’m not pretending to be an expert

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

So you feel like you can conclude that absent most of the information and assuming somehow you know better than the player and their medical professionals?

Let me ask you, do you think the medical professionals had all the necessary information at the time of decision? An additional question do you believe that most medical professionals would have made the same conclusion given the information they had as the medical professionals employed by Huberdeau?

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

So you feel like you can conclude that absent most of the information and assuming somehow you know better than the player and their medical professionals?

He could become an Instagram influencer with those credentials.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

Let me ask you, do you think the medical professionals had all the necessary information at the time of decision? An additional question do you believe that most medical professionals would have made the same conclusion given the information they had as the medical professionals employed by Huberdeau?

I don’t know but what evidence is that they didn’t? Or that the wrong decisions were made?

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I’m not pretending to be a medical expert
I assume the medical staff considered these elements to guide the decisions

That's ok. Assuming that the player and staff of the team always make the right decision is a position. I can't hold that against you and I respect your opinion.

My opinion is different.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

That's ok. Assuming that the player and staff of the team always make the right decision is a position. I can't hold that against you and I respect your opinion.

My opinion is different.

I didn’t say they always make the right decision. Don’t put words in my mouth.

I just think it’s weird to basically accuse the team of medical negligence absent any evidence.

The bar should be higher

[bdubbs]

Some of the entitled behavior by posters on CP never ceases to amaze me. Hopefully Huberdeau can come out of the surgery pain free and that he can enjoy a healthy life with or without hockey afterwards.