BOSTON — All signs point to Dennis Seidenberg making his season debut Thursday night at TD Garden.
Seidenberg, who has yet to suit up for the Bruins this season after undergoing back surgery during training camp, will be a game-time decision for Boston’s matchup with the Colorado Avalanche, per coach Claude Julien.
“He’ll be out there for warmup,” Julien said after the team’s morning skate. “We’ve got some game-time decisions to make here, guys. Obviously, not up front — we’re good up front — but in the back end, we’ll make game-time decisions.”
Julien went on to say there is “a good possibility” Seidenberg will be in the lineup against the Avalanche.
The veteran defenseman suffered his injury before the Bruins’ first training camp practice and did not begin practicing with the team until late October. With Seidenberg’s most recent game action coming in the final game of last season, Julien said he plans to ease him back into the fray.
“For him, it’s just thinking about going out there and playing,” the coach said. “We’ll take care of the rest — the amount of ice time, who he plays against and all that. That’s the advantage we have at home, too, with that last change. Right now, all Dennis has to think about if he plays (Thursday) is just go out there and play. Don’t worry about anything else. Players that think to much, obviously, it usually plays against them. So, we want him thinking less (Thursday), or whenever he plays, and just kind of make it as easy as we can on him.”
Seidenberg’s recovery time initially was pegged at eight weeks. A Thursday return would put him exactly one week ahead of schedule.
“I mean, I feel good,” he said. “Like (I said Wednesday), I’m going to talk to guys later, before the game, and see what they think and what they want to do, and then we go from there.”
Defenseman Torey Krug also will be a game-time decision after sitting out practice Tuesday and Wednesday. Krug, who was on the ice for Thursday’s morning skate, has played in all 14 games for the Bruins this season and is tied for the team lead with 10 assists.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
