Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Sharks expect Havlat to open season on IR

martinhavlatgetty

Though his health is improving, Martin Havlat isn’t likely to be ready for the start of the season.

“Marty had that [surgery] and he’s worked really hard,” Sharks head coach Todd McLellan told CSN Bay Area. “He’s right on schedule, from what I’ve been told. But, to put him in a situation where he’s not ready, and at risk, makes no sense.”

Havlat, 32, underwent major groin surgery (bilateral pelvic reconstruction) in late June and, because he was recovering from injury, was ineligible to be bought out during this summer’s 48-hour compliance window.

Havlat missed seven regular season games last season with a lower-body injury, and nine playoff games with the aforementioned groin issue.

The Czech winger hurt his groin during San Jose’s opening-round series against Vancouver and tried to return for the Kings series, but lasted just a few minutes in his first game back and didn’t play again.

The situation between the Sharks and Havlat then reportedly became acrimonious, according to CSN:

In what could be perceived as a sign of frustration from the organization, Havlat was given a temporary locker stall in the Sharks’ dressing room at their practice facility between games six and seven against the Kings. To put that in perspective, AHL call-ups Freddie Hamilton, Alex Stalock, Matt Pelech and Matt Tennyson all had regular locker stalls.

In the press box for Game 7 at Staples Center, Havlat sat by himself, while the other Sharks scratches sat together on the complete opposite end in the seats set aside for visiting players.

In mid-July, San Jose GM Doug Wilson was unsure if Havlat would play for San Jose again.

“Havlat had a pretty extensive procedure done,” Wilson explained. “He is an important player to us and we missed him when he wasn’t in there. There is no timeline for a return, so I don’t have an answer for that one.”

Should the Sharks put Havlat on LTIR (long term injured reserve) to start the year, they could free up his $5 million cap hit to spend elsewhere.

That could come in handy, as a number of solid UFA veterans are currently without work.