The Minnesota Wild were eliminated from the 2016 NHL postseason in the first round of the playoffs this year – and as the team disbanded, forward Thomas Vanek admitted he’d been sitting out the team’s postseason play with a fairly significant injury.
Per Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, Vanek has been dealing with broken and displaced ribs, which ‘should heal with time’ and leave him fully healthy by the start of next season.
That doesn’t mean that Vanek expects to be back with the team, though.
The 32 year old forward finished the season with 18 goals and 41 points through 74 games, but saw himself a healthy scratch on more than one occasion during the regular season before having to sit out the playoff round.
He hopes he isn’t bought out – he said he wants to win a Stanley Cup with the Central Division club – but understands the nature of the business and how that could affect his chances of returning next season. For a 41-point player, the veteran – drafted fifth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2003 – costs a hefty $6.5 million per season against the cap next year, and would cost the team $7.5 million in actual salary. That, coupled with a no-movement clause, make him a prime buyout candidate in an offseason where the salary cap may not go up at all.
If Vanek does get bought out in the summer, it’s possible (even likely) that he could explore free agency rather than retiring.
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