Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman said Thursday that he isn't sure if Marian Hossa will ever play again.
"Obviously that was tough news," Bowman said of Wednesday's announcement about Hossa's skin disorder. "It's a huge loss obviously."
Hossa announced Wednesday that he wouldn't play in the 2017-18 season and perhaps longer because of a "progressive skin disorder" and the "severe side effects" of the medication used to treat it.
Bowman also said the team knew of Hossa's condition and that he had been managing it for a while.
Hossa's statement, however, did not say he was retiring, a distinction that has salary-cap implications for the Hawks _ and one that raised eyebrows around the league as the Hawks may get some much-needed cap relief because of Hossa's condition. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league is looking into the situation and will rule in the coming days.
Bowman also said he isn't concerned about the NHL's potential ruling on Hossa's status.
But Bowman said replacing Hossa won't be as easy as going out and signing someone with a similar cap hit because of the complicated way the salary cap works. The Hawks are likely to put Hossa on long-term injured reserve, but can't do that until the season begins.
"It's not as simple as people might think that we just have this ability to suddenly replace Marian with another player," Bowman said. "It's way more involved than that. We're going to do our work and we'll figure out a solution to it in time."
If Hossa, 38, has played his last game, as could be the case, he will finish with Hall of Fame credentials. He played in parts of 19 seasons and compiled 534 career goals while winning three Stanley Cups with the Hawks, with whom he signed a 12-year, $63.3 million deal before the 2009-10 season.
Coach Joel Quenneville said Hossa had been dealing with his disorder for years and Quenneville would give him practices or morning skates off just so he didn't have to put on his equipment.
Quenneville said the team tried many different solutions to help Hossa's condition get better, but nothing seemed to work.
"I'd like to give you a number of how many different things they'd try to alleviate what he was dealing with," Quenneville said. "I'm sure the number would probably stagger you because it was a constant thing and he would get tested different ways."
