By this time next week, Tuukka Rask could officially be back with the Bruins. Of course, he is unofficially back already, as he has been practicing with the team on a regular basis for a couple weeks now.
The final step of actually signing a contract appears to be just a formality and a matter of timing at this point. As far as that timing goes, coach Bruce Cassidy said Tuesday that Rask will continue to practice with the team for the rest of this week.
Rask will not travel with the team for its games in Tampa and Washington on Saturday and Monday, but he could go down to Providence for a conditioning stint and play as early as Friday or Sunday if he’s cleared for game action and both sides agree that is the best course of action.
So, how does Rask actually look in these practices? Cassidy answered that question on Tuesday, and had high praise for the way Rask has handled his rehab from offseason hip surgery.
“He looks good,” Cassidy said. “I’ve watched him for years, so I’m stating the obvious. He’s an excellent goaltender. Technically sound. Not a lot of wasted movements for Tuukka. That’s been his strength since he came into the league as a 20-year-old.
“…He certainly looks the part out there right now. He’s coming along very well. You’re never sure with surgery, how it’ll go, complications, etc. He got through it, put the work in. I’ve seen him in the gym every morning at his scheduled time. Clearly he’s taking it seriously and wants to rehab as quickly as possible. Credit him 100 percent for his work ethic through this whole thing. He looks good on the ice, and time will tell how that translates.”
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