When Miles Wood was shut down for the season, I understand the disappointment, given all the excitement that surrounded Miles' return. His energy, his smile, his joi-de-Vivreare all incredibly contagious.
I also understand the curiosity around how everything has unfolded after he played just three games this season. From the get-go, it had always been about managing his on-ice time as a priority, whether it was on-ice play or taking games off.
All along Miles' recovery has been part of an extensive process. And he cautioned that's what it was going to be like, potentially missing some games as there was a feeling-out process to his injury. There is no doubt that Miles was medically cleared to play. But there is also a difference between being medically cleared and then testing out how you'd feel on the ice, in-game action, not only after several months off but also with the extent of the procedure, seeing how his body would react was important. Have no doubt that his plan puts his best interest of Miles at the forefront. We are so accustomed to seeing him bounce back from injury with a Wolverine-type quality, but I suppose this is a good reminder that he too, is human.
If there was anyone who was hyper-aware of this it was Miles himself, who frequently mentioned and reminded us that his brief return was only four months out from having had the surgery. He, from the start, tempered expectations of his own return and what that would ultimately look like.
