CALGARY -- Calgary Flames defenseman Ladislav Smid is pushing to work his way back into the rotation, general manager Brad Treliving said.
The 29-year-old last played Jan. 19, a month after taking a high hit from then-Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Simon Despres. He had surgery in February on the herniated disc in his neck.
Smid is participating in informal skates at WinSport at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary and is gearing up for a potential return after a recent meeting with doctors in California.
"It was good. It was positive," Treliving said Wednesday. "[Ladislav] looks really good. The injury is healing, it'll be close to a month, I think, from when he got seen to when he gets seen at training camp as to whether he can participate.
"My sense right now is everything's progressing, but he's not necessarily going to be ready for contact at training camp, and getting a better sense when that will be. It was a positive report. We'll see where he is. There are still steps to take when he gets to camp."
Smid sustained an upper-body injury on Despres' hit in Calgary's 3-1 loss Dec. 12. He played three more games scattered over the next five weeks before opting for surgery on the herniated disc.
It's not the first time Smid has had to recover from that type of surgery.
As a member of the Edmonton Oilers, the 6-foot-3, 209-pound defenseman underwent surgery on his neck after a 2010 injury.
Each operation was performed in Los Angeles.
Smid had one assist in 31 games with the Flames last season and has one goal and seven points in 87 games since being acquired by Calgary from the Oilers on Nov. 8, 2013, along with goaltender Olivier Roy for forward Roman Horak and goaltender Laurent Brossoit.
In 561 career NHL games, Smid has 12 goals, 72 points and 466 penalty minutes.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.