The word “plyometrics” is going to come into play for the next little while in off season workouts as Travis Zajac will be out up to three months after tearing his left Achilles tendon on Wednesday.
First off what is “plyometrics”? Well here is a little more. Plyometrics (also known as “plyos”) is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports. Plyometric movements, in which a muscle is loaded and then contracted in rapid sequence, use the strength, elasticity and innervation of muscle and surrounding tissues to jump higher, run faster, throw farther, or hit harder, depending on the desired training goal. Plyometrics is used to increase the speed or force of muscular contractions, providing explosiveness for a variety of sport-specific activities. Plyometrics has been shown across the literature to be beneficial to a variety of athletes. Benefits range from injury prevention, power development and sprint performance amongst others.
Also, keep the following in mind (again thanks to Wikipedia), Plyometrics are not inherently dangerous, but the highly focused, intense movements used in repetition increase the potential level of stress on joints and musculo-tendonous units. Therefore safety precautions are a strong prerequisite to this particular method of exercise. Low-intensity variations of plyometrics are frequently utilized in various stages of injury rehabilitation, indicating that the application of proper technique and appropriate safety precautions can make plyometrics safe and effective for most populations.
The irony in all of this is the last sentence. Evidently it does not prevent all injuries if an accident occurs. There really was not word as to where in the workout the injury occurred but we can tell you that if the injury takes a true three months then Zajac will be ready just before Thanksgiving. Obviously his games played streak of 401 comes to an end. It was clear from Devils writer Tom Gulitti that this is a tear and not a rupture. There is a big difference. One is a 8-12 week injury, and the other is a 6-9 month innury.
Anyone who has had a tear of the Achilles knows the pain is intense. If you have ever heard the phrase “its like an elephant being shot” is pretty much how to describe it. Fortunately, training camp is still four weeks away so really Zajac probably misses about 4-6 weeks of the regular season. That is not so bad but for fantasy hockey fans and hockey fans alike, there is some definite impact here.
Zajac could miss anywhere from 12-24 games, depending on the recovery time with the prognosis being closer to the latter than the former. Using any fantasy projections, it would be wise to cut his numbers by 25% at least until we see what he is like when Zajac returns. We truthfully had him on near a 60 point track so if you cut it to 45-50, that is about right on the money for now.
There is some good news in this for fantasy hockey fans. Here is some postitive impacts.
1. Adam Henrique should get Top 6 ice time.
2. Mattias Tedenby will also get a bump!
3. The youth movement in New Jersey will help fantasy hockey.
All of this sounds a bit out of whack but the Zajac could be a long run blessing and even short run one as well. While Travis Zajac will likely drop in year only leagues, he should not drop much in keeper leagues at all. People should relax in that case but this could be a major springboard for guys like Adam Henrique, who clearly will benefit from playing with the Devils. Henrique had 50 points in 73 games for the Albany Devils and do not be shocked if he thrives in New Jersey. He has the two way tools that Zajac had when he first came up and may be a little better as far as skill set.
The first six weeks or whatever Zajac is out will be a fantasy boon for Henrique owners who ride the wave so to speak. Also, expect some of the pressure to be taken off New Jersey as players like Mattias Tedenby will be guaranteed more ice time (without worrying about the yo-yo effect from Jacques Lemaire). Jacob Jozefson could also see a bump along with Matt Taormina (who is healthy after ankle surgery) and Adam Larsson (who could see time in the NHL). Youth needed to be served in New Jersey at some juncture. With the departures of some “older and less useful players”, the time is now.
For fantasy hockey purposes, it is maybe a time to take a look at some younger New Jersey players where most would just fly by them aside from maybe one or two. Time will tell if the Zajac injury had any real tangible impact but on the surface, it is going to give several players the chance to shine for a team who does need a spark. This should be interesting and something to keep an eye on.
