Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Michalek to return 'soon' (update)
By Victoria Matiash
UPDATE: Winger Milan Michalek (knee) is expected back in the lineup when his Ottawa Senators face the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday.
"I'm ready and I'm excited," said Michalek, according to the Ottawa Sun.
Facing postseason surgery, the 28-year-old hopes the knee holds up well enough before then.
"It just happened. It just swelled up on me. I'll have to deal with some pain for now and have to get (surgery) at the end of the season. Hopefully, it feels good. I feel pretty comfortable. I had good practices and I've been working hard. I think I'm ready."
One of Jim O'Brien or Kaspars Daugavins is likely to sit in Michalek's return. Both O'Brien and Daugavins could be the odd-men out if Mark Stone is inserted in the lineup as well.
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UPDATE: While a return this weekend remains a possibility, Milan Michalek pledges to be back in the Ottawa Senators lineup next week (Ottawa Sun).
"I don't think I'm going to play (Saturday), but we'll see on Sunday (in Long Island). I'll play next week for sure."
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Taking part in practice and travelling with the team, forward Milan Michalek (knee) could return to the Ottawa Senators lineup in the not-too-distant future. But don't count on a comeback before next week.
According to the Ottawa Sun, Senators coach Paul MacLean downplayed the possibility of Michalek's return for the start of the club's current five-game road-trip.
"Right now I'm going to say 'no' because he's just practised with us the one time," MacLean said Wednesday. "He's basically coming with us so he can practise ... We're looking forward to getting him back as soon as we can. But we want to fight against doing it before he's ready because all that will do is set him back again."
"We'd like to get him back two games ago, but we're going to be patient. It's always easier to be patient when you've won five games in a row."
Michalek has missed the past seven games after tweaking his surgically-repaired knee Feb. 13. As long as he continues to progress, a return next Wednesday in Toronto might be in the cards.
