BOSTON — Bruins center David Krejci skated with his teammates at Tuesday’s morning skate for the first time since he suffered a partially torn MCLÂ on Feb. 20 against the St. Louis Blues.
The injury was expected to keep him out of the B’s lineup for four to six weeks. The four-week mark is almost here, and Bruins head coach Claude Julien said the earliest Krejci could return is the upcoming weekend back-to-back with games against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
“He was able to skate with us (Tuesday)Â because of line rushes and all that stuff,” Julien said. “He’s progressing well, so I don’t know how close he is. Is he a possibility for the weekend? I think the earliest would probably be the weekend, maybe even longer.”
Julien also confirmed that Krejci will return to the Bruins before the regular season concludes April 11.
“He will. We still have quite a stretch here before thinking about the playoffs or getting to the playoffs. He will have some games in.”
Krejci doesn’t know exactly when he will return, but he’s been skating for a week and wants to be as close to 100 percent as possible before returning in an effort to avoid any setbacks.
“I’m just taking it day by day,” Krejci said. “I started skating last Monday, so I got a good week. I’ve been working pretty hard to get back. It’s another step forward today and I’m looking forward to tomorrow already.
“I don’t really have a timeline. I just take it day by day and whenever it feels 100 percent I’ll be back.”
The Bruins host the Buffalo Sabres at TD Garden on Tuesday night.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
