His agent, Jay Grossman, said Volchenkov broke "a small bone" near the arch of his foot and would be treated by the Torpedo's doctor and medical staff in Russia, rather than return to North America for treatment.
Grossman's statement is less ominous than the original report, which said that Volchenkov fractured an ankle and would miss 4-6 weeks. The agent said, "It's not expected Volchenkov would miss that much time" and that his return is dependent on his healing process.
Volchenkov had only recently signed with the Torpedos and appeared in just three games before sustaining the injury. Previous to that he was skating with several Devils players in New Jersey.
It will be interesting to see what transpires, as the NHL's lockout rules state that if a player is injured while playing in another league during the lockout, an NHL club can suspend them without pay until he is fit to play. There is a chance Volchenkov will recover before the NHL season begins, but there's also the likelihood he'll still be injured.
Volchenkov has a hefty contract- six years, $25.5 million- and the Devils, who are struggling financially, may exercise their "suspend without pay" right. Vochenkov himself struggled last year, playing less than 18 minutes a game, and just 16 minutes during the Devils' Stanley Cup run.
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