The veteran Bruins defenseman hasn’t played since suffering a shoulder injury while in camp on a tryout with Phoenix back in September. He signed as a free agent with the Bruins at the end of February, and, despite having finished his rehab and being cleared for contact, he has yet to appear in a game in his second stint with Boston.
That could change on Saturday, as Bruins coach Claude Julien indicated after Friday’s practice at the Garden that Hnidy will likely play against the Thrashers.
“The final decision hasn’t been made, but there’s a good chance you’ll see Hnides in,” Julien said. “We’ll make the decision before the end of the day.”
Hnidy is certainly anxious to see some game action, though he’s quick to point out he’s been enjoying working with the team even in practice.
“I guess obviously it will be nice to get out there and get in a game,” Hnidy said. “It’s felt welcoming since I got here. I just go out in practice and work hard and it’s going to come.
“I’m definitely enjoying it,” Hnidy added. “When you’re away from the game and questioning your future like I was, it’s a joy just to be back in whatever situation you can.”
The Bruins signed Hnidy, who first came to Boston in a trade from Anaheim on Jan. 2, 2008, and played in 108 games with the Bruins, before signing as a free agent with Minnesota in 2009, to add some depth to the blue line as injury insurance for the postseason. But to be ready for the playoffs, Hnidy will need to get up to speed by playing in at least a few of the final five games of the regular season.
“I don’t know if I have a certain number,” Hnidy said. “Obviously we need a few [games] and it’s going to need to be more than one or two. There’s five left here to work with, whether I play them all I don’t know, but hopefully I can get into as many as I can. And if not, then I’ll do whatever it takes to be ready.”
When he does play, Hnidy will have to ease back into action a bit.
“The first couple shifts I don’t know if I’ll go all out,” Hnidy said. “I’ve got to go out there and I’ve just got to play. I can’t try to do too much. I’ve got to play hard. Obviously I’m going to be excited to get out there and play the game again. You can practice and practice, but we’re in this business to play the games and I’m excited about when it happens.”
Julien is also unsure of how much he’ll be able to use Hnidy at first.
“I think he’s in pretty good shape from what I can see,” Julien said. “He’s been with us for quite a while now and pushing himself. I think he’s in pretty good shape, but having said that, game shape is another level. I think when he does play we’ll have to kind of gauge how he’s doing and how he feels. Every player is different in the amount of ice time they can handle when they come back. Some guys, it’s like they haven’t missed a beat. Other guys really find it tough their first game.”
With the Bruins having already secured a playoff berth and needing just one more point to clinch the Northeast Division title, Julien is using these final games as an opportunity to not only get players like Hnidy some needed ice time, but also get some of his regulars a little rest. Johnny Boychuk sat out Thursday for that purpose while Steven Kampfer returned to the lineup.
It’s unclear who will sit to make room for Hnidy if he plays on Saturday, but don’t expect it to be Zdeno Chara. The captain missed a few shifts during Thursday’s game and was the only Bruin who did not participate in Friday’s practice, but Julien insisted Chara is fine.
“There’s nothing,” Julien said when asked if there was anything wrong with Chara. “He had the day off and he’ll be in [Saturday].”
Enforcer Shawn Thornton will likely miss his second straight game on Saturday after taking a skate to the face in Tuesday’s win over Chicago. In addition to the 40-plus stitches he required, Thornton is now experiencing significant swelling around his right eye as the blood drains down from the cut.
Thornton said he woke up Friday with the eye swollen shut, but the swelling subsided enough to allow him to practice. Playing on Saturday, however, is a long shot.
“He’s still day-to-day,” Julien said. “I haven’t gotten the clearance yet from the medical staff that he’s good to go. Obviously the swelling’s gone down a little bit so there’s a little bit of caution. We’ve got to be cautious with that situation. Hopefully he’ll be ready to go soon, but [Saturday] is still a question mark.”
