Bruins’ Nick Foligno ‘Shooting For’ First Round Of Playoffs Return

The Bruins are getting healthier but still are missing some players going into their final four games of the 2022-23 regular season.

Nick Foligno has been sidelined since February after a collision with Nikita Zadurov in Boston’s Feb. 28 game against the Calgary Flames. He was placed on injured reserve before the Bruins placed the forward on long-term injured reserve Saturday afternoon.

The extent of Foligno’s injury has been unknown, though we know it was “significant,” and that a return before the playoffs always was in question. He’s been practicing in a non-contact sweater, which is a good step forward in his recovery, but still has no timetable as to when a return might happen.

But Foligno’s feeling good, and gave credit to the Bruins’ training staff in helping him move smoothly along in his rehab.

“I feel great. I think for me, I think everyone gets excited, myself included, being out there. Pretty significant injury that I had and it’s a credit to our medical staff,” Foligno told reporters after Saturday’s morning skate. “(Manager of player rehabilitation) Scott Waugh, working with him that I’m a little further along than probably we were expecting. That’s why it’s hard, there’s no real timetable. It’s just a matter of me feeling as good as I need to feel. When that time comes we’ll know when I’m ready.

“I think it’s just hard because you see me out here skating but I’m still working toward trying to feel as good as I can for the team when I come back and step in. Thats al we’re focused on. As much as I’d like to be out there, and dying to be back out there, I gotta make sure that when I do I’m ready and I’m ready to go for the long haul. I give those guys a ton of credit, man, with the original diagnosis and where I am today I’m pumped at the work everyone’s done to get me back to feeling this good.”

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Foligno was playing some of his best hockey before his injury and did a complete 180 from last season. His leadership didn’t go unnoticed on and off the ice –including helping newcomer Tyler Bertuzzi get acquainted with the team– and he was a staple on the bottom six. But the Bruins are fortunate enough to have forward depth that has stepped up, and the trade deadline acquisitions have been a seamless fit.

With the Stanley Cup playoffs fast approaching, it will be important for the Bruins to be as close to 100% healthy as possible, and that includes getting Foligno back into the lineup.

“I know there’s still a little bit more that I wanna check off box-wise and be ready for this group,” Foligno told reporters. “They deserve my best. I’ve tried to give that to them all year.”

The regular season always was a stretch for Foligno to return, but might the first round of the playoffs be a possibility?

“I hope so, that’s what I’m shooting for,” Foligno told reporters. “I’d love to give you a timeline (but) I don’t know. I’m gonna try my hardest and probably throw some threats at people if not, but that’ll be the conversation we have in the next week or so.”

The Bruins have four games left, including Saturday’s contest against the New Jersey Devils as they go for win No. 62 on the season. Puck drop from TD Garden is set for 8 p.m. ET.