Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE
With so little activity from them this summer, much of the talk for the Chicago Blackhawks has centered around Marian Hossa and whether or not he’d end up healthy before the start of the regular season.
Hossa sustained that brutal his from Raffi Torres in the postseason, taking a shoulder to the head that resulted in him missing the remainder of the playoffs and kept him in isolation for weeks following the hit.
Initially, Hossa was set to be ready for the start of the regular season, which was slated to begin next week. But after hearing about the trials he went through in his recovery, you have to wonder if that would have been possible. With games now about to become postponed or cancelled, Hossa should have time to completely recover.
Earlier this week, Hossa stepped back out on the ice for the first time since the hit. He had been working out for weeks prior to that, but stepping on the ice was obviously a big step. You have to wonder if the fact that it happened just a week before the season was set to begin was a result of a delayed recovery, or him just taking his time knowing games would be lost.
Since he wasn’t medically cleared, Hossa can work out with Blackhawks personnel during the lockout. Which is terrific news all around. He can work out with team trainers and doctors around him, so he will know when the time comes if he should be cleared to play or not.
Hossa is a player I wouldn’t expect to see play overseas, no matter how long this lockout lasts. He’ll probably use this time to his advantage and come back at full strength when the season does begin. If it’s anything like the Hossa we saw last year, that’s great news for the Hawks.
But while this NHL lockout might be miserable for everyone involved, there are still those that needed this extra time to heal up. Marian Hossa is one of those players, and this should end up benefiting him in the long run.
