Laperriere admitted that he was not completely honest with the Flyers' medical staff about his symptoms when he returned to the lineup exactly 4 weeks after receiving 80-to-100 stitches and sustaining a brain contusion that caused internal bleeding on the brain and showed up as a spot on an MRI.
That spot was not completely gone when Laperriere resumed skating in May.
Laperriere struggled with headaches and vision problems all summer - but still returned to training camp and even played in the first preseason game against New Jersey on Sept. 21.
Whether Laperriere retires, sits out this season or even a portion of the season, the Flyers will be faced with roster and salary-cap implications. Currently, the Flyers list him as "out indefinitely," and he will begin the season on the short-term injured reserve. If the Flyers were to have moved him to Long Term Injured Reserve by yesterday's 3 o'clock roster deadline, they would gain his roster spot back and receive a cushion on the salary cap for a replacement player. With that comes a requirement to stay on the LTIR for at least 10 games or 24 days. That part would not be the problem.
But if a team has a player on LTIR from the start of the season until the end - as defenseman Mike Rathje had been for the past 3 years - it would be required to saddle the full salary-cap hit of a player they choose to claim off re-entry waivers instead of the half as per the usual rules.
Even if Laperriere chose to retire, the Flyers would still be stuck with his $1.1 million salary-cap hit because he signed a special, "over 35" contract. Laperriere still has 2 years remaining on his deal.
In the meantime, general manager Paul Holmgren will have to work around that roadblock.
