Senators goaltender Mike Condon is expected to be fully recovered and ready for training camp after being out since November after undergoing stem cell surgery on his hip, reports Postmedia’s Ken Warren. He cleared waivers early that month and played in AHL Belleville just once before seeking out various medical opinions which led to the surgery. Condon has one year left on his contract after this one with a $3MM salary and a $2.4MM cap hit. However, given the uncertainty surrounding his hip issues – it’s something he has battled throughout his career – it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to add another goalie to the mix. Anders Nilsson, a pending UFA, is a possibility to be brought back.
More from the Atlantic:
- Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman is unsure if he will be able to play at all in their first-round series, notes Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link). He suffered a setback to his previous lower-body injury late in the season and the team decided to shut him down for a bit. While Stralman is feeling better and if he gets the green light to return from team doctors, he’d be a welcome addition to a Tampa back end that has struggled so far against Columbus. Head coach Jon Cooper also told Smith (Twitter link) that Victor Hedman is also banged up and expressed that he’s hopeful that his top defender will be available for Game Three against Columbus.
- Bruins center Sean Kuraly has resumed skating (albeit in a non-contact jersey) after undergoing hand surgery late last month, the team announced (Twitter link). He was expected to miss at least a month after it happened, a mark that is still ten days away so it appears he’s on schedule if not slightly ahead. Meanwhile, defenseman John Moore also skated but he is further away from returning from his upper-body issue.