Player Discussion Mika Zibanejad: Part II

[Edge]

Now, I will say one thing in defense of the people who believe it’s a concussion, I did talk to one person outside the organization who believes it is concussion related, or "like-symptoms", though she/he stopped short of calling it a concussion.

 

[Brooklyn Ranger]

I'm now convinced it really was a tumor. It's the only solution that makes sense.

 

[Siddi]

Now, I will say one thing in defense of the people who believe it’s a concussion, I did talk to one person outside the organization who believes it is concussion related, though she/he stopped short of calling it a concussion.

Which is exactly what Mika himself did.

 

[Edge]

Which is exactly what Mika himself did.

I am going to paraphrase here, so work with me.

The league typically does a multi-step process to determine if a player has a concussion. It’s not a scenario where someone says they have some problems and they chalk it down as a concussion. There are several tests and procedures a player goes through. A concussion, like any trauma, has some tell-tale signs.

Let’s say there are 10 signs they look for. Now not everyone is going to have all 10 signs, but in 98% of cases, they have (let’s say) 6 of them, in some combination.

What this person said is that Mika hasn’t show 6 of them. Maybe he’s shown 3 or them or 4 of them (we didn’t discuss a specific number). But the point being there’s not something that points to a concussion.

As others have mentioned, there are several things that show concussion-like symptoms. But they involve injuries or trauma that don’t necessarily mean a concussion - which is a trauma to the brain itself. These can range from everything to a neck problem, to an ear problem, to an oxygen problem, to a jaw problem and beyond. But they aren’t themselves a concussion.

Now the part I am not sure about, and one of the reasons I asked earlier, is that I am not sure if having previous concussions has any impact on these conditions. In other words does the body respond a certain way because of a previous concussion, is a player more vulnerable, etc.?

I don’t have an answer to that question.

But while there’s some speculation that what he’s feeling isn’t a concussion, the symptoms could be similar. And, contrary to what we might think, those symptoms could very well be tied to what’s been previously reported.

But this person, who I’ve worked with, but wouldn’t consider a friend, can be a bit flippant and was more or the “what does it matter?” mindset.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Hopefully he’s back soon from the concussion. Glad they aren't rushing him back, can’t do that with those.

 

[Edge]

Hopefully he’s back soon from the concussion. Glad they aren't rushing him back, can’t do that with those.

See, now this is what I’m talking about:

We say these things as definitive, just because it’s what we THINK, and then we act surprised when people push back.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

I'm pretty sure its a concussion at this point.

 

[Edge]

And if it is, it is. But even now, we don’t know. And that’s the key part.

We have Mika making a kabuki statement.

We have Quinn repeatedly saying no.

Behind the scenes I have no one saying concussion, but I have one person saying similar symptoms without hitting the benchmarks.

We have the team saying neck and chest. I have that more or less being backed up behind the scenes.

We have Zibanejad saying head, but not saying concussion. We then have no one picking up on that yet.

Personally, I find the situation around the injury more concerning than whether it is or isn’t a concussion.

 

[Rangerfan4life90]

And if it is, it is. But even now, we don’t know. And that’s the key part.

We have Mika making a kabuki statement.

We have Quinn repeatedly saying no.

Behind the scenes I have no one saying concussion, but I have one person saying similar symptoms without hitting the benchmarks.

We have the team saying neck and chest. I have that more or less being backed up behind the scenes.

We have Zibanejad saying head, but not saying concussion. We then have no one picking up on that yet.

Personally, I find the situation around the injury more concerning than whether it is or isn’t a concussion.

In short, couldn't it be as simple as a minor concussion that's stemming from the neck and chest?

 

[hi]

And if it is, it is. But even now, we don’t know. And that’s the key part.

We have Mika making a kabuki statement.

We have Quinn repeatedly saying no.

Behind the scenes I have no one saying concussion, but I have one person saying similar symptoms without hitting the benchmarks.

We have the team saying neck and chest. I have that more or less being backed up behind the scenes.

We have Zibanejad saying head, but not saying concussion. We then have no one picking up on that yet.

Personally, I find the situation around the injury more concerning than whether it is or isn’t a concussion.

Maybe the people saying no concussion also have concussions

 

[Edge]

In short, couldn't it be as simple as a minor concussion that's stemming from the neck and chest?

I don’t know. Even now, no ones has said concussion other than us.

I think it would be easier if we didn’t have people on the record and off the record saying the same thing.

That's the funny thing. There is no contradiction.

Either everyone has been told the truth, or everyone’s been lied to. So it’s not like picking one side or another.

 

[Edge]

Maybe the people saying no concussion also have concussions

Well that would be Quinn in that group.

I mean even now, you have Quinn on record saying no concussion, multiple times, and you have Zibanejad implying he had one, but yet still not saying it.

So the only official on the record comments we have are No, even if we throw all the behind the scenes chatter and Zibanejad’s non-definitive comments out there.

And either way, that’s just strange.

 

[HonestGabe]

Maybe he got whip lash? Neck/back of the head leading to some concussion like symptoms and they kept him out as a precaution until he was symptom free, given his history with concussions?

Nevertheless, he seems to be ready to return Wednesday and the problem corrected, otherwise the team would not be letting him come back.

While this board has always drawn the inquisitive type, sometimes I feel like people are so conditioned to search for undertones in the organization’s quotes to the media and “reading between the lines” to find problems that may not even exist. It’s almost as if people want Zibanejad to have a concussion because the lack of information coming from the team would support that thesis. It doesn’t have to be an A+B=C situation. Concussion related or not can we at least appreciate that the organization was clearly extremely cautious with his injury and didn’t rush him back?

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Well that would be Quinn in that group.

I mean even now, you have Quinn on record saying no concussion, multiple times, and you have Zibanejad implying he had one, but yet still not saying it.

So the only official on the record comments we have are No, even if we throw all the behind the scenes chatter and Zibanejad’s non-definitive comments out there.

And either way, that’s just strange.

Could be that different people – on the inside – have different opinions. I mean, I can totally see a situation where the team doctors say, "Mika, you've got whiplash" and he says "yeah, I've had concussions before and this feels like a concussion." Would explain the whole thing.

 

[Edge]

Could be that different people – on the inside – have different opinions. I mean, I can totally see a situation where the team doctors say, "Mika, you've got whiplash" and he says "yeah, I've had concussions before and this feels like a concussion." Would explain the whole thing.

It’s possible, and is something I suspect, but don’t have any proof of.

I will say that team’s behind the scenes comments have matched what they’ve said publicly. They’ve been a little more detailed, though not totally forthcoming, but also not in contrast to what was said in pressers.

But I do wonder if there’s some disagreement on the diagnosis - and that’s just me spitballing.

If there is a scenario where Zibanejad feels like he knows his body, and feels strongly that this feels like a concussion, it could stand in contrast to a physician or team of physicians telling him that they’re not seeing actual evidence of it, other than what he’s telling them.

You could have Mika saying, “I know what a damn concussion feels like” and the response being, “The scans are not showing anything on your brain and your protocol tests don’t show indications either.”

Again, I have no proof of this, but it does make the most sense to me when I look at all the pieces.

The disagreement might not be about “what” Zibanejad is feeling, but rather “why” he is feeling it.

 

[Edge]

Maybe he got whip lash? Neck/back of the head leading to some concussion like symptoms and they kept him out as a precaution until he was symptom free, given his history with concussions?

Nevertheless, he seems to be ready to return Wednesday and the problem corrected, otherwise the team would not be letting him come back.

While this board has always drawn the inquisitive type, sometimes I feel like people are so conditioned to search for undertones in the organization’s quotes to the media and “reading between the lines” to find problems that may not even exist. It’s almost as if people want Zibanejad to have a concussion because the lack of information coming from the team would support that thesis. It doesn’t have to be an A+B=C situation. Concussion related or not can we at least appreciate that the organization was clearly extremely cautious with his injury and didn’t rush him back?

That’s what I find interesting. I could take or leave the reasons why he is out. All I know is that it was serious, and all reports, while not detailed, haven’t really contradicted themselves either. I do worry when we start pushing back against that with speculation. But my primary concern is not whether it was a concussion or concussion like symptoms caused by something else.

I think there are some whose primary concern is that they really want to be right on this issue. And to some extent, guessing right, is more important than the end result - which is that Zibanejad was obviously hurt pretty bad. I feel like you can kind of see that in the way they craft their message. It’s very...provocative.

 

[Kords]

That’s what I find interesting. I could take or leave the reasons why he is out. All I know is that it was serious, and all reports, while not detailed, haven’t really contradicted themselves either. I do worry when we start pushing back against that with speculation. But my primary concern is not whether it was a concussion or concussion like symptoms caused by something else.

I think there are some whose primary concern is that they really want to be right on this issue. And to some extent, guessing right, is more important than the end result - which is that Zibanejad was obviously hurt pretty bad. I feel like you can kind of see that in the way they craft their message. It’s very...provocative.

Provocative? That's a rather dramatic way of putting it, haha. I'm sure some people subconsciously just wanna be right, but even more telling is the general distrust of disclosure (or lack thereof). IMO it's really indicative of the way the league treats injuries as a whole, but that is a whole other can of worms.

 

[True Blue]

He was asked not to divulge what the organization already said? That seems even remotely plausible to you?

Have the Rangers said anything since the early days of his absence? It's possible that what they thought was a neck injury turned out to be a concussion. I don't remember the Devils facing penalties for initially reporting Scott Stevens' career ending concussion as the flu.

Asked or not asked, there could be times where teams want to control the flow of information.

There have been no writers snooping to state concussion. There have been no statements to state concussion. The coaching staff is on record with what the injury was. There is nothing here for me to believe that they are lying on record to the public.

 

[Kovalev27]

Now, I will say one thing in defense of the people who believe it’s a concussion, I did talk to one person outside the organization who believes it is concussion related, though she/he stopped short of calling it a concussion.

you’ve been talking to someone outside the organization for weeks about it being a concussion......

ME

 

[Edge]

you’ve been talking to someone outside the organization for weeks about it being a concussion......

ME

Sorry, I meant someone who isn't guessing.

 

[WojtekWolski86]

Team hasn't folded without Mika. It will be exciting to get him back in the lineup. Capt Happy could use the pick me up.

 

[NernieBichols]

Now, I will say one thing in defense of the people who believe it’s a concussion, I did talk to one person outside the organization who believes it is concussion related, though she/he stopped short of calling it a concussion.

You saw his quote right. You guys can probably figure it out... he’s either saying you guys can probably figure out I’m not gonna talk about it, or that he had a concussion. I mean right?

 

[NernieBichols]

From Stephenson:

I asked Mika if he could tell us what the injury was. He declined.
"I don't want to go into details, but I think you guys can figure out -- it was an upper body, so, I'm not going to go into more details than that.''

this doesn’t sound like a concussion to people?

Personally I think he’s alluding to a concussion myself.

I do think that’s what he’s alluding towArds

(Unless of course he spent all practice obviously stretching out/testing his range of motion on his neck or something like that and it would have been obvious to the beat writers)

 

[UnSandvich]

Good news y’all

https://mobile.twitter.com/vzmercogliano/status/1199393619905568769

 

[Raspewtin]

Good news y’all

https://mobile.twitter.com/vzmercogliano/status/1199393619905568769

notttttt happy about breaking up Chytil's line.