The rumor mill got it wrong on Brenden Dillon this offseason. There were concerns that his postseason injury was much worse than it looked.
Dillon was hurt in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes. The hit wasn’t significant, but the aftermath was. Dillon got right up, then collapsed. It was clear something wasn’t right.
Dillon played all 82 regular-season games last year. He was a lock for the lineup every night. So, when he went down with an injury, it was clear this was going to be a bruising series. By the end of it, every regular Devils’ defenseman was either injured or coming off a major injury. Some had to have surgery this offseason, including Johnny Kovacevic, who is going to miss at least three months of the season.
Another player we learned had surgery is Dillon. The 34-year-old defenseman is in the second year of a three-year contract with the Devils. This is an important season for him, as he wants to help the Devils take the next step, and this is a year where some defensemen see decline. Dillon is a bruising player, so skill erosion isn’t as impact as someone who is focused more on speed, but it’s still something he thinks about.
So, when we learned that Dillon was dealing with a neck issue after the injury, there was concern. Many players deal with neck issues, and some opt to get a surgery called a “fusion.” For years, it appeared to be the only option to continue careers, but it’s also a risky surgery.
A new option has come up in recent years: total disc arthroplasty.
The option has been controversial in the past after former Buffalo Sabres star Jack Eichel demanded he get the surgery over a fusion or just pure rehab. Unfortunately for Eichel, the Collective Bargaining Agreement says teams have final say on surgery decisions. However, Eichel outright refused any treatment that wasn’t the disc replacement surgery.
Eventually, the Sabres traded their star to the Vegas Golden Knights, he got the surgery he wanted, and he’s been a top-level star ever since.
Dillon told Devils’ reporter Amanda Stein that he got the same surgery, speaking with Eichel beforehand.
"(H)is situation was a lot more public and wide open. I think that's something for us as pro athletes, is we have a lot of access to doctors and physios and chiros and all these types of things. And ultimately, we, more than anybody, want to get healthy and feel our best, feeling right. For the competitive part in us, we want to get healthy and get healthy right and be as best as we can. So he kind of almost did a lot of the homework for me."Brenden Dillon on Jack Eichel
Unlike how things went with the Sabres, Dillon says the Devils went above and beyond to be supportive.
"The check-ins from our team staff, I had someone from the organization with me every step, helping me out, caring for me, checking in with me, making sure things went according to plan, and I feel incredibly grateful."Brenden Dillon on the New Jersey Devils
As more and more players get this surgery and see positive results, it will lose its controversy. Dillon is ready for Game 1 of the season, which surprised many fans knowing the issues he was dealing with in the offseason. If he plays his game and adds the grit the Devils need on the back end, the Devils might have one of the better defensive units in the league.