When the Boston Bruins hit the ice today for the first practice after the holiday break, there was a familiar face leading the group. Tuukka Rask was the first player on the ice according to Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic, despite the veteran goaltender still not having a contract with the team.
Asked after practice, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters that Rask is still a couple of weeks away from being ready to return to action. Tracey Myers of NHL.com writes that January 18 could be that return, though there are still medical–and contractual–hurdles to overcome before then.
Rask underwent hip surgery in the summer to repair a torn labrum but has been back on the ice for weeks now, working out at the Bruins facility. While he technically is an unrestricted free agent and could sign with anyone, the goaltender has been very clear about his intentions to finish his career in Boston.
Now 34, Rask would certainly add a lot of experience to the goaltending room for the Bruins, though it’s unclear what role he would be brought back for. Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have both been very good lately, raising their save percentages to .917 and .922 respectively for the season.
Importantly, Swayman is still waiver-exempt and could be sent to the minor leagues, but does not appear eligible for the newly recreated taxi squad given his role on the team through the first part of the season. Rask would need to pass through waivers in order to go to the taxi squad, so that’s not an option for him either.
The answer to those questions doesn’t have to be given for a little while longer, but it appears as though Rask will in fact officially return to the Bruins at some point in the next few weeks.