Lombardi, Murray discuss injuries

Question: In terms of injuries, is there anyone this summer who will require surgery?

LOMBARDI: “Williams, obviously there’s going to have to be an issue there, and that’s kind of going to be a player thing (as to whether he has shoulder surgery). I think I told you this before, and I forget the exact percentage but I think he can get it 90-percent back (without surgery). I think he had it 80-percent back, in terms of going out there and being able to play. But the issue, obviously, is the long-term effect. But this is one where you have to be careful. It’s not like Parse’s hip, where you have to have it done. This is one where you kind of have to make a decision. If you go through this (surgery), it sets you back three months but your shoulder is going to be as good as new. It’s one of those where it’s more for his long-term benefit than being ready for training camp.

“That’s what happens too, even with Willy having been out that long. How many times have you seen it, where a guy comes back in the first game and it looks like they went to a whole new level, and then it goes (down). It’s a combination of adrenaline — he was really good in his first game back — but I remember seeing it and thinking, `You know what? That might be the best,’ because when you get a guy who has been out two months with major (injury), it’s really hard to maintain it. You’ll usually see it for the first game. He was outstanding. And then it (dips). You saw him a couple times where I almost got the sense that they [the Sharks] were targeting him. I love the kid. A lot of guys wouldn’t have played, at that stage of their career. They’d say, `I’m not going to risk this.’ But he did everything possible to get it up to 80 percent and go out there.

“Parse is going to be another issue. The (hip injury) is tied to the groin. Remember, this all started with the groin, and it’s connected to the hip. You’re seeing this more and more, but it’s mostly with the goalies. So, first of all, it’s getting him through this (hip injury). Give him credit for trying to play out there. He was pretty good in his first game back, and then we had to bench him. But the issue is whether it connects over here (to the other hip) now. That’s a tough injury now. Remember how 10 years ago, everything was the sports hernia? Now it hasn’t been everybody talking about that. The new one is this hip stuff. So we’ll see where it’s at. But it’s kind of like Williams. It’s like, `What do you want to do with your career?’ It’s just so frustrating, because you talk about our skill level, and clearly that’s what we’ve got to address. Even the fact that our goals suddenly went up and our defense went down (in the playoffs), I don’t think we’re going to come out of this evaluation saying, `Oh my gosh, we do have scoring and it’s our defense (that’s the problem).’ I think we’ll stay with what we believed going in. But (Parse) was our most-skilled guy. This was the year we were going to put him on the top line, let us see what you can do. Boy, it’s been frustrating to get him out there and see what he can do. Because at times you see the flashes. Even in San Jose, on his first shift he makes that little criss-cross pass and you go, `Whoa, there it is.’ So he’s a tough one.”

Question: Parse got his minutes cut quite a bit in the last game…

MURRAY: “He should have. I was upset. In the meetings I have, it’s, `I’m ready to go, it’s 100 percent, I want to contribute.’ You have to play then. You’ve got to go. The easiest job in hockey is to be the weak-side forward in your own D-zone coverage.”