Following the skate, Stuart, who has been out since early April after two surgeries for cellulitis, expressed optimism that a return could be around the corner.
"I’m definitely hopeful that I’m going to get back in there," said Stuart, who is still sporting a portal in his right forearm, which he’s required to hook up to an IV twice a day in order to kill the cellulitis. "It’s my job to get in shape and the coaches are helping me out with that, obviously. And then it’s up to the coaches to make the decision whether to put me in the lineup."
Stuart is very cognizant of the precarious position the coaching staff and team brass find themselves in. Stuart can bring plenty of help to a depleted team, but at the same time may alter the current chemistry of a squad just three game away from the Eastern Conference finals. The team approached the Marc Savard return the same way, and it appeared to pay off.
“I realize where I’m at right now. It doesn’t matter that I was playing this season, it’s the playoffs and the guys are playing well,” Stuart said. "You’ve got to earn your spot and you’ve got to earn your minutes. So the only thing I can do is show them that I’m in shape and that I’m working hard in practice. And then it’s up to them if they want to use me.”
Head coach Claude Julien isn’t making any promises but is sounding optimistic. He stressed that the nature of this injury is much like a concussion and that things can swing in a positive direction one day and negative the next.
"I wouldn't write [Stuart] off. But things can change quickly in situations with guys," said Julien. "You don't want to get too far ahead of yourself by making a comment that's going to backfire the next day, so it's one of those situations where we hope it's going in one direction. But we think it could go the other way, too.
"He's coming along well," he added. "It was a delicate injury, or situation, that could go either way quickly. We're hoping for the best and right now things are going on the positive side. We'll stay realistic here and take it day by day. We're hoping he'll be back, and he'd be a big help for our hockey club."
