Skrudland, 'Rocco at 90 Percent'

I am just catching up with a few things after being in Orlando, Florida this past week. There were a few people that were concerned about Rocco Grimaldi's knee and how he was progressing.

I know Brad E. Schlossman had posted somewhere earlier this summer that everything is going fine for the UND forward Rocco Grimaldi and that he should be ready for the start of the season.

I know this tweet from Chris Peters has got a few people concerned as well. I would imagine if Grimaldi has a strong first half of the season he will get a look from Team USA for the WJC. I am hoping that Chris can get us some more details as the summer goes along.

On the 14th of July the Florida Panthers' Director of Player Development Brian Skrudland was on the Pipeline show with Guy Flaming asked Brin Skrudland if Rocco Grimaldi was able to take part in the Panthers prosepect camp.

“No… He [Grimaldi] has been on skates – he has been training hard – the decision was just in a sense that he is that he is just really starting to feel comfortable and the one things about these kids even though it’s a development camp the competition is incredible ,” Skrudland said.

“That’s what makes this guy’s such quality people, here we are and we are out having some fun but I will tell you that each one of these kids hates to lose. I would have hated to play marbles with these guys when I was younger cause they are all bigger stronger and they probably would’ve all beat the living crap out of me especially with the mouth I had when I played the game of hockey.

But you know – they … I think for in Rocco’s case and in Carter Brickley’s case these two dealt with some injuries this past season, they were working hard off the ice and on the ice with their trainers. …To come to camp and have a setback wouldn’t be the right directions. We want them both to go back to their teams this year have a fabulous year and next year will be another opportunity.”

Guy asked Skrudland, “any reason to think that he won’t be ready to start the regular season, Rocco I mean?”

“None what- so-ever, none what-so- ever; he’s… his rehab has been tremendous, he’s almost working at 90% right so, throughout the remainder of the... the summer that strength should continue he should be just fine.”

You can listen to this podcast from July 14, 2012 by clicking on this link. 

This past Tuesday, Dillion Simpson was on the Pipeline show this past week... [segment 1], [segment 2], [segment 3]

Brian Skrudland not concerned with Bjudstads development at Minnesota

Miami Herald photo

Guy Flaming co-host of the Pipeline show 1260 A.M. out of Edmonton, Alberta interviewed Brian Skrudland the Director of Player Development for the Florida Panthers. Guy asked Skrudland  if Bjugstad staying in Minnesota for another year would hurt his development as a hockey player. Here is what Skrudland had to say about the matter.

I'm not sure so I asked Brian Skrudland the question to see if the Panthers organization shared the same concern.

"Well... that is a concern," Skrudland admitted, "But when you've got such a quality organization as [the University of] Minnesota has provided there... the off ice strength and conditioning coach, Cal Dietz, has done a fabulous job with Nick. There are a lot of positive things about him going back. The only negative is that he won't be wearing a Panthers jersey and helping us score some goals next year."

"It's an opportunity for him to finish something that he started and we love that as far as the character of the person," continued Skrudland, "And it's an opportunity to go back and maybe win the Hobey Baker and hopefully a national championship as well."

It would appear that the Florida Panther don’t have the same concerns about Minnesota like Garth Snow of the New York Islanders had. That being said, it would appear that the Panthers wanted Nick Bjudstad to sign a professional contract.

Just for the record Guy Flaming and Dean Millard are very fair hosts and are by no shape of the imagination anti-NCAA hockey but in this case I also think that Guy might have a point…

Flaming posed this question Bjugstad… “Could his progress stagnate, or even regress, playing at a level that in many ways, he is already a dominant player?”

I think that is a good question and only time will tell – I think the Gophers will definitely benefit from another season of having Nick Bjugstad on their roster and his presence will make them one of the top teams to beat in the WCHA this season if the Gophers can figure out who is going to be the man between the pipes for the Gophers.

[click to listen to podcast]