Confirmed with Link: Gabriel Vilardi signs 3-year ELC

Peter James Bond II

"Man, we were right there" - De-Luc-sional
Mar 5, 2015
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I think the notion that his mental has gone downhill due to injuries is even worse than if he just had consistent injuries.

In my humble opinion, kid is toast.

He's 19. Last year, he had an appendectomy and a knee injury and came back from those and was dominant. I would think his mindset was not weak, nor his confidence.
He is an overcomer and if he actually had back surgery, amazing he was able to be practicing over a month ago. I say he is ready for camp in September.
 

King'sPawn

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Jul 1, 2003
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I missed two months of work due to medical issues and it ****ed with my head. I don't think it's bad if it's gotten to him.
 

AbsentMojo

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None of us know what his back issue is, there are so many to choose from. But most likely its a herniated disc and they went in and cleaned up the disc jelly. It doesnt always guarantee the nerve wont stay irritated but sometimes completely solves it. What he has going on his side is youth - and should heal fast. Back injuries are weird and take a while for the body to reset itself after it compensates.. Brock Boesser broke a bone in his back last year and came back this year very slow.. then he pulled or groin or something like that, but now is doing well. Hopefully that is the pattern for Vilardi.
 

Ziggy Stardust

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Has it?

I remember his appendix and his knee injuries and the back thing is now being reported as surgery while the latest issue is groin.

It's not better that he's a god damn game of Operation, but I'd rather have some of those fluky ones with one back surgery than several years of back issues when it comes to long-term healthy development.

Vilardi didn't participate in rookie camp in 2017.
Injured Vilardi not participating in rookie camp, training camp - LA Kings Insider
Fans hoping to catch Gabriel Vilardi in action at next week’s rookie games against Vegas will unfortunately have to wait longer to see the club’s top draft pick in action. The Kings announced Thursday that Vilardi, the Windsor Spitfires forward selected 11th overall at the 2017 NHL Draft, will miss all on-ice activity at Los Angeles’ upcoming rookie camp and training camp due to a back sprain.

“Gabe has already begun his rehabilitation and continues to work hard,” General Manager Rob Blake said in a team release. “The injury is something that flared up throughout the summer.”

(In correspondence with Spitfires GM Warren Rychel, Jim Parker of the Windsor Star noted Vilardi has a hip injury and in a separate story said the forward “has been in California all summer” as he rehabilitates it.)

Vilardi did not skate at the club’s development camp, held the final week of June at Toyota Sports Center. At the time, that was attributed largely to the conclusion of a long season that culminated in Vilardi hoisting the Memorial Cup on May 28. But he did not skate with Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase that bridged June and July, and recent correspondence across the OHL did not offer an indication that he had resumed skating.

Vilardi will continue to be evaluated throughout his rehabilitation, but at this point there’s no timetable on his return.
 
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Bandit

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It's because people were citing his injury after he was drafted as evidence of why he fell, instead of actually reading the scouting reports and listening to the media pundits in the know.

Just because you or others may have been right doesn't mean you weren't premature. It's like calling a kid a bust just because he has a bad D+1 season. You may very well be right, but it's too early.
Honestly don’t care why he fell in the draft. Bottom line is he’s missed a significant portion of two seasons now in a very critical time for his development. This is the kind of shit that stunts people for life.
 

YP44

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This is such a **** show.

I still would have gambled on him but it is kind of funny to look back at how so many people here said he dropped because "NEW NHL SKATING OMG" as opposed to injury concerns.

The kid is a beast when he's on the ice. That talent level does not drop that far in the draft simply because he isn't a burner.

Anyways, the Kings being able to contend with this core was very much predicated upon Vilardi making an impact as early as this year and definitely by 2020. That isn't happening now. The cavalry is not coming in time to save this roster unless they can nab immediate help in Hughes.

Sadly I can see this panning out where he gets a "fresh Start" elsewhere in a year or two and then takes off
 
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DoktorJeep

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Sadly I can see this panning out where he gets a "fresh Start" elsewhere in a year or two and then takes off

If 20/4 get canned before he’s healthy, you could see a new GM package him in a trade which clears cap space.
 

regulate

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Sadly I can see this panning out where he gets a "fresh Start" elsewhere in a year or two and then takes off

Kings aren't stupid. Vilardi is not going to be moved due to health problems. He's an outstanding talent. The only thing this kid lacks is speed. If the internet didn't exist and this was the days when you were just reading the hockey news, no one would hardly bat an eye. Everything is instant gratification these days.
 

Mats26

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He's 19. Last year, he had an appendectomy and a knee injury and came back from those and was dominant. I would think his mindset was not weak, nor his confidence.
He is an overcomer and if he actually had back surgery, amazing he was able to be practicing over a month ago. I say he is ready for camp in September.

Canadian kid missing 2 camps and 2 WJC and dealing with what could be a career ending chronic back problem. I hope his mind set is not weak, cause he is going to need to stay positive going forward here. With that being said, the next 6 months are critical.
 
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YP44

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Kings aren't stupid. Vilardi is not going to be moved due to health problems. He's an outstanding talent. The only thing this kid lacks is speed. If the internet didn't exist and this was the days when you were just reading the hockey news, no one would hardly bat an eye. Everything is instant gratification these days.

Didn't say it would be right away. I can just see a scenerio where he final breaks into the league with another team as like a 24 year old.
 
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Mats26

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Didn't say it would be right away. I can just see a scenerio where he final breaks into the league with another team as like a 24 year old.

Maybe...but with the current lack of development, at 24 he could also end up like Curtis Lazar.
 
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Fishhead

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Didn't say it would be right away. I can just see a scenerio where he final breaks into the league with another team as like a 24 year old.

Well, if it takes him that long to get healthy no team is going to touch him. I really doubt he struggles at all once he gets everything in order. Nolan Patrick had a very similar injury history and has had zero issues in the NHL so far health-wise. His numbers aren’t fantastic, but then again he never flirted with 2ppg like Vilardi did.
 
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DoktorJeep

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Well, if it takes him that long to get healthy no team is going to touch him. I really doubt he struggles at all once he gets everything in order. Nolan Patrick had a very similar injury history and has had zero issues in the NHL so far health-wise. His numbers aren’t fantastic, but then again he never flirted with 2ppg like Vilardi did.

Nolan Patrick was the same draft year as Vilardi, but is almost a year older. He’s played 100 nhl games and scored just over 40 pts.
 

AbsentMojo

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It doesnt sound good - that the original plan was too aggressive for him and now the timeframe is very up in the air. I was really looking fwd to watching him in the WJC against his peers with most likely very talented line-mates. Bummer.
 

KingsOfCali25

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Thanks for the link. Man, that is not encouraging.

Actually I think it's the opposite. I think it is good for him to have some time off. The kid needs rest and strengthening for his back. How he was going this year would have just kept his back not fully healed. I think of it as the Tiger Woods problem but with less issues because of age and style of play. Give him some time!

The kid will be fine; he's only 19. Not all prospects make the NHL that fast. Most guys don't crack the NHL until 22-23. Everybody on here wants to dump him so quickly because of this. Give him time to heal because he doesn't need time to develop.
 

KINGS17

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At this point, all he can do is exactly what he is already doing. Getting to 100% and being as free and clear of this as he can is the only real step forward.
The problem with a bad back is you may think a player is back to being 100%, and they aren't.
 

DoktorJeep

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Something recent on Vilardi - basically he's taking it slower: Fronts' Vilardi focuses on rehab, not what could have been

There are pretty discouraging quotes from Vilardi in that article. It sounds like the plan is to completely shut him down, with zero target dates. In a couple of months this kid went from being given a spot on an NHL roster to back in his parents house outside the Toronto suburbs.

“I’m taking things a bit slower because I’ve tried the thing where I can do rehab for three, four or five hours a day and it didn’t really work for me, so I’m taking a different path and taking things slower these days. It varies from day to day. Some days I can spend two hours, some days I can spend four hours.”

His rehab has been comprised of healing, with treatments and massage, along with stretching and strengthening exercises for his back.

“It’s a bit of everything,” he said. “You never realize how much you use your back until you hurt it. That’s what I’ve been told.”
 

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