Signed with Admiral Vladivostok
http://www.sports.ru/hockey/1045154551.html
http://www.sports.ru/hockey/1045154551.html
Wonder what the dollars were. I'd have thought for a mil, one team would take a flyer for depth.
Guy put up over 50 points just 2 seasons ago. You'd think someone would take a flyer on him. Before the Larsson trade (which I loved right away, and still do -- he's been amazing) and signing Russell (who's been wonderful for us), I was actually hoping the Oilers would consider The Wiz for the 2nd or 3rd pairing RHD, and be put on the 1st unit PP, as he's a good PP Dman. But, then again, he just missed almost an entire season because of a torn ACL. He had a PTO with Tampa Bay and was released, so maybe he just can't skate very well anymore. Don't know, as I haven't seen him play lately.
I didn't get a chance to watch any of his preseason with Tampa Bay, but his injury always reminded me of something Michal Handzus said about his ACL recovery.
Similar to Wisniewski, Handzus tore his ACL very early in the season (2006-07). Handzus signed with the Kings the following offseason and had a very poor first year in LA. Handzus would then return back to his normal levels of production. Handzus later mentioned how he could play 12 months after the injury but wasn't truly 100% until 18 months later.
I kinda wondered if Wisniewski might face a similar recuperation.
Lol, what an awful team to sign with. Vladivostok is so far away from other KHL cities, its closer to LA than to most of them. The travel must be terrible
I thought Tampa was smart to get him on a PTO but they sure cut him quick. I wonder if he really looked that bad? Too bad he couldn't get another crack at the NHL somewhere else. A freak injury 10 minutes into your first game with your new team and that's possibly the last time you play in the league. Pretty brutal.
Good for Wiz, although I fear for what that injury might have done to his skating speed as he was slow as molasses to begin with. But I hope he can still prove himself useful as a PP quarteback if nothing more.
Vladivostok is far away and their travel schedule must be brutal, but this simply isn't true at all. Not even Zagreb is as far away from Vladivostok as LA is.
I'd guess he was in a similar spot as Ehrhoff, where he could get a small deal, but realistically find himself as the #7 and wouldn't get to play much or even run risk of being assigned to the AHL, so he preferred closing the NHL chapter.