MAJOR: Jets Lose Star Forward Indefinitely After Surprise Diagnosis
Photo credit: Sportsnet
The Winnipeg Jets are in the middle of a tight race for the top position in the Central division. However, it now appears as though that race will get a little tougher for them as one of their top players just got some bad news.
No Return Date Set For Vilardi After Surprise Diagnosis
Head coach Rick Bowness addressed Vilardi's status with reporters this morning. He revealed that the star winger has been diagnosed with an enlarged spleen. Furthermore, he could not provide a timeline for his return. As we have already seen this year with Mark Stone, spleen issues can be very serious.
Gabe Vilardi has an enlarged spleen. There is no timetable for his return.
Furthermore, this is not the only issue Vilardi is dealing with. The team doctors apparently discovered the spleen issue when they were trying to diagnose and treat a completely separate issue that the forward has also been dealing with.
Fans Speculate About Possible Return Date For Vilardi
Today's revelation has sparked speculation as to what is going on with Vilardi. One fan pointed out that an enlarged spleen is a common symptom of the mono virus. If this is the case, Vilardi could be out for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs as Mono is a notorious virus to recover from.
He most likely has mono. Enlarged spleen is not uncommon with that virus. Expect he is out for a while
Regardless, losing Vilardi is a big blow to the team. He has 16 goals and 30 points in the 38 contests he's been able to get into this season. The Jets would very much prefer to have him on a deep playoff run as depth scoring is a huge factor in the playoffs. If Vilardi is going to miss the entire run, that would significantly lower Winnipeg's chances of bringing a Stanley Cup to Canada for the first time this century.
| POLL | ||
15 MARS | 362 ANSWERS MAJOR: Jets Lose Star Forward Indefinitely After Surprise Diagnosis How far do you think the Jets will go in the playoffs this year? | ||
| 1st round exit | 71 | 19.6 % |
| 2nd round exit | 168 | 46.4 % |
| Conference finals | 100 | 27.6 % |
| Stanley Cup Finals | 23 | 6.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
Latest 10 stories
