Confirmed Signing with Link: James Wisniewski to KHL

[ViD]

Signed with Admiral Vladivostok

http://www.sports.ru/hockey/1045154551.html

Click to read more...

 

[playasRus]

Wonder what the dollars were. I'd have thought for a mil, one team would take a flyer for depth.

 

[Vipers31]

Wonder what the dollars were. I'd have thought for a mil, one team would take a flyer for depth.

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.

 

[tarheelhockey]

This is such a bummer. He really seemed like a good fit for the Canes last year and didn't even make it through his first period. After they cut him this summer it seemed like kind of a foregone conclusion that he wouldn't be able to make an NHL squad... quite the turn of events from a year earlier.

 

[KarmaPolice]

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.

 

[Stuzchuk]

WOW!
I'm surprised on that one, I honestly thought that he'd find a home in the NHL

Good luck in the KHL

 

[ChiGuySez]

What a fall for Wiz. Spurned the Hawks when he became a FA. Chased the $$. Went to several teams and became a vagabond. Could have had a few rings but whatever.

 

[Demon Wolf]

Loved him during his stint with the Habs!

 

[Brodeur]

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.

 

[SEALBound]

Happens to guys like this in the cap world. Bummer.

 

[PhoenyX]

Injuries derailed his career. Too bad. He wasn't the fastest skater or the greatest defensively but he was a weapon on offensive and played with an edge. I'll never forget that "gesture" he gave to Sean Avery

 

[DonskoiDonscored]

Surprising. I thought he played well last year.

Love ya Wiz, come back soon.

 

[Byrral]

He lost a lot of foot speed the last year with the CBJ and got beat consistently. After a major knee injury I'm sure there was concern how much he has left. Maybe after a year in the KHL he will show he has something more to give. Best of luck Wiz.

 

[KarmaPolice]

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.

That's interesting. I believe Karlsson of the Sens said the same thing after his achilles was partially severed; he said he didn't start to feel 'normal' until about a year after he first came back. Different injury and place on the leg, but still a tendon/ligament tear or partial tear all the same. So maybe these things just take a full year or so to fully come back from. I think it's probably fair to say that all NHL teams realize this, so I think there will be lots of interest in The Wiz NEXT off season, pending no set-backs or other injuries, even if he doesn't have the best season in Europe -- teams will realize it's because he's still healing and getting into form. If so, that should bode well for The Wiz making an NHL comeback next season. If that's the case, and he's close to 100% next off-season, I'll hope again that the Oilers take a shot on him for 2nd or 3rd pairing RHD spot, and of course for the PP, which he scores so many of his goals on, and is very effective on the PP in general -- something we could use from the back-end.

 

[Siludin]

Vladivostok? That's a brutal travel schedule. I can't think of a team I'd less-rather play for.

 

[hototogisu]

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.

 

[PsychoDad]

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

 

[Soundwave]

Shoulda taken that PTO with the Oilers, I think he would've made the team.

 

[Miggus]

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.

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

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.

 

[MrClutch86]

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.

I heard that he didn't have NHL level footspeed and they didn't want to wait for him to regain it after the injury. Also, cap space.

 

[PsychoDad]

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.

Okay, its closer to Vancouver, an NHL team, than to Zagreb and Bratislava, 2 KHL teams.
Or a better one: Zagreb, Bratislava, Helsinki, Riga, Minsk, St.Petersburg and Moscow (so roughly a 3rd of KHL) are closer to Montreal than to Vladivostok.
Happy now?

 

[SoundAndFury]

Well, Vladivostok has advantages too. One of the nicest cities in the league (especially if you aren't metropolis kind of person), great fans, small rink, 4 Canadians on the team, team itself is pretty good. David Booth played it there last year and judging by his instagram and all was very happy.

Admiral has 6 imports now though so there probably isn't going to be 4 Canadians for long.

 

[Zippy316]

Seems like he really backed himself into a corner by taking that Tampa PTO.

I get why he did it, to be on a cup contending team, but I think if he had chosen to go somewhere like Arizona, there's a good shot he would've made the team.

 

[edguy]

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.

I seriously doubt hes closed the NHL chapter. He'll look to come back next year after proving himself in the KHL

 

[Extra Texture]

Yeah, count me as another poster surprised by this. Like TarHeel said only a season ago he was a pretty sought-after guy, and now this. I would have definitely not minded the Pens throwing him (the Wiz of a year ago) a cheap one year offer. After what happened with Daley, a guy that was supposedly trash, I think guys like that still have a role to play.

Oh well, good lucky to him and I hope we see him in the NHL again