Don’t worry Carolina Hurricanes fans, it’s not your Svechnikov. Unfortunately, the Detroit Red Wings announced today that Evgeny Svechnikov has undergone surgery on his right knee to repair his ACL and will be out five to six months. That essentially ends Svechnikov’s 2018-19 season, as even a five month timetable would put him back on the ice in the middle of March.
It’s an incredibly tough break for Svechnikov, who was looking to make an impact at the NHL level for the first time in his professional career. Since being selected 19th overall in 2015, the talented Russian forward has played just 16 NHL games, recording four points. Last season was an especially poor one for Svechnikov, who tallied just 23 points in 57 minor league games and fell behind several other prospects in the Detroit organization. The older brother of Hurricanes top prospect Andrei Svechnikov, the Red Wings forward just turned 21 and has yet to really prove he was worth the first round selection.
The Red Wings weren’t expected to compete this season, and some may take this as another signal that they’re headed for a high pick in the 2019 draft, but this is far from what they were hoping for. A lost developmental season for a promising prospect is a huge blow for the future of the franchise, even if it does lower expectations of a fan base even further for this year. Not only that, but major ACL injuries are notorious for impacting the agility and speed of a player moving forward, something that Svechnikov relies on to create offense. While there’s no guarantee that it changes the way he plays the game, there is now always going to be the worry of re-injury and more risk involved with the young forward becoming a key part of the Red Wings future.
Still, perhaps it is good that the Red Wings are in a situation where shutting a player down for the year comes with little hesitation. They’ll now work diligently with Svechnikov to rehab his right knee and come back stronger than ever ready to compete for a starting spot on the 2018-19 roster. With this timetable he should be able to either return just before the season is over, or at least attend Detroit’s development and training camps next summer.