September 18, 2008 Steve Sullivan is nowhere near returning to the ice, but he will continue his rehab from back surgery at the team's complex instead of his own, according to the Tennessean. "He is fed up with therapy, if you will, and trying to rehab, so he is going to try to do something different now," General Manager David Poile said. "He wants to integrate himself back in with the team instead of going off somewhere for therapy."
Our View:Sullivan was once upon a time a money player that the team was going to build around. Alas, at this point, he would just like to skate in an NHL game again. Because of that bad back Sullivan simply cannot be drafted in any league, and even when he returns to action, if he returns to action, he will need to prove his worth all over again.
September 8, 2008 Steve Sullivan is making some progress in his recovery from a back injury but is not ready to rejoin the Predators, according to the Tennessean.
Our View:The team is preparing for a season without him, and will consider his return a bonus. He contributed 22 goals and 38 assists over 57 outings in 2007-08.
August 12, 2008 Predators GM David Poile tells reporters that center Steve Sullivan is a "long shot" to be ready for training camp, according to the Nashville City Paper. Sullivan hasn't played hockey since February 2007 and has had multiple back surgeries. "He has been to the doctor," Poile told The City Paper. "He is working with his therapist. There has unfortunately not been a lot of change."
Our View:Earlier this summer Sullivan told The Tennessean he had begun on-ice workouts and had undergone intense rehabilitation but continued to be hampered by spasms. Nashville is on the hook for Sullivan's $3.2M salary for one more season, but he told The Tennessean that Poile has been supportive even though it's been difficult to set a timetable for his return, and now we wonder if he will return at all.
