Justin Williams’ return "quite likely"

[lakingsfan19]

Justin Williams’ recovery from his broken ankle is going to be hard to judge on a day-to-day basis, but it’s safe to say that everyone in the Kings organization is enthused about the progress that Williams has made in the past two months, and today, Terry Murray expressed great optimism that Williams will be able to return before the end of the regular season…

Question: It was a big surprise for me to learn that Justin had started skating. Was a surprise to you, or were you kind of tracking him all along?

MURRAY: “I’m very surprised at how far along he is also. He went to the doctor and got the green light to go on the ice. When that call came to me, from Kinger [athletic trainer Chris Kingsley] that, `Here’s the news,’ I said, `You’ve got to be kidding me.’ Man, and here he is now, public skating, and it just shows the dedication and the hard work, and the hard work the medical staff has done with him.”


Question: As a coach, are you keeping it in the back of your mind that he might be able to play before the end of the regular season?

MURRAY: “Damn right I am, and I’ve been thinking that way all the way through, quite honestly. I have never gone through pieces of paper, writing down lines, where I haven’t put his number over in the corner, as a reminder that this is a player who played very well for us. It’s quite likely that he will be back for us in the last games of the season.”

Question: Realistically, given his injury and recovery, do you have any sense of how many games he might need in order to be really ready?

MURRAY: “That’s a tough call. It just comes down to how much work he’s going to put into it right now. If he keeps pushing it the way he has in the past three weeks, for the next couple weeks here, he can come along pretty quickly. That’s a tough call. Whether he needs to go play a couple games in Manchester or not, I don’t know that.”

http://www.lakingsnetwork.com/hammond/?p=4225#more-4225

[2yt4u]

Always liked Justin. Wish we still had him back this way.
The Kings would really benefit if he can come back for
the playoff push.

[NickDoh]

thats pretty amazing that two months to the day of breaking his ankle he was already skating on it. i hope that not only he makes his return but is able to contribute at the same level as he was! go kings!

[lakingsfan19]

Posted by Rich Hammond on 1 March 2010, 3:55 pm

It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that Justin Williams might far exceed my expectations for his return. Since his injury, I’ve considered the idea that he might return this season to be doubtful at best, but given the way he has looked in practice for the past few days, I’d have to change my opinion of that.

Williams made it through his first full practice on Monday morning and accompanied the Kings on their two-game road trip. Williams still has quite a bit of conditioning work to do, but injured players typically don’t travel, so Williams’ presence on the road indicates that the Kings are very serious about his return. Everyone is staying tight-lipped about a possible return date — and Williams stressed that he will not play during this two-game trip — but Williams is progressing very well.

The doctors might have helped. After practice, Williams explained his injury — which is technically a broken bone in his leg and stretched ankle ligaments, not a broken ankle — and how a newer procedure might have helped his recovery time.


WILLIAMS: “There’s the tibia, and then the fibula on the side. Those bones join together at the ankle. Those bones are joined by ligaments, which I stretched, and they spread out. What they usually do is, they take screws and tighten it up, and take the screws out eight weeks later. In this, they basically put in a plate with buttons on it, and they cinch it tight. They wrap it around and pull it, so there are no screws involved. They just pull it and tighten it up to where it needs to be and tie it in a knot and wait. This way, the screws don’t need to be taken out. The plate stays in there. It’s attached to the bone, and that will just stay in there. But there’s no screws going into the tibia, which is what they would usually do.”

WILLIAMS: “I did as much research as I could on this. I had a goal in mind for myself, and it just helps me drive forward every day. Surprisingly, it’s like right around where I thought it would be.”

http://www.lakingsnetwork.com/hammond/?p=4272

WOW, Williams is already at practice and traveling with the team. WOW, this could be our "Deadline Move". I like it, he gets back and has some time to get ready for the playoffs!!!

[HordiBrusk29]

Until he is back on the IR again. The guy simply cannot stay healthy.

[The Boogie Man]

Williams never could stay healthy here in Carolina and you feel bad for guys like that because hes a good player when he is. That being said Carolina recycles their old players left and right, wouldn't be shocked if we traded back for him here at the deadline although I hope not.

[LAKINGSNUT]

Originally Posted by HordiBrusk29

Until he is back on the IR again. The guy simply cannot stay healthy.

it certainly seems that way, but the broken ankle was just a freak accident! his skate got caught on the ice as he got hit by Jovo and Kopi at the same time. he crumpled to the ice and was in pain instantly. it looked very similar to when Simmer broke his leg all those years ago. almost exactly the same, skate got caught on the ice and down he went.

hopefully it doesn't take him too long to get back to where he was when he went down. it would be good to get that top line going again!

[HordiBrusk29]

Originally Posted by LAKINGSNUT

it certainly seems that way, but the broken ankle was just a freak accident!

Yeah I know I was watching that game when it happened. But I was speaking more in general, Williams always seems to be hurt regardless of where he plays.