If Wednesday was the last time forward Valtteri Filppula ever plays for the Detroit Red Wings, his tenure ended in one of the worst ways possible.
Not only did his team get eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7, but he left early in the contest after Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw appeared to slew foot him.
Filppula, 29, had an immobilizer on his left leg after the incident and Red Wings GM Ken Holland revealed that he had sustained a high-ankle sprain, according to the Detroit Free Press and MLive.com.
When asked if Shaw did slew foot Filppula, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock declined to answer the question directly.
“You guys watched the video, you decide,” Babcock said. “He’s hurt.”
If you haven’t watched the video, here it is:
Babcock added that Filppula will be ready for training camp, but whose training camp? He’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and is reportedly seeking $5 million annually.
That’s a big raise over his expiring five-year, $15,000,000 contract and one he might not get after struggling in the regular season with nine goals and 17 points in 41 games.