"I feel really close," the 23-year-old defenseman said today. "It's just about the little things like being comfortable battling and feeling strong in all positions."
Lindholm and fellow blueliner Sami Vatanen underwent shoulder surgeries on May 30 and both have been active participants in practice as of late. One last hurdle for Lindholm, specifically, is being able to engage physically without hesitation or discomfort.
"That's the last test for me," he said. "That's a big part of my game and I want to be 100 percent confident when I get out there."
Lindholm is understandably chomping at the bit to play again. It's been five months since he last stepped foot onto the ice for a game, but he understands there is a fine line when recovering from major surgery. Sometimes the fastest way isn't always the best way.
"You don't want to be too quick, but you want to be," he said. "I've played with an injured shoulder in the playoffs. When you get close like this, you want to play games. You don't want to be skating around. It's going to be fun when I finally get out there."
His exact return date remains to be seen, though head coach Randy Carlyle dropped an Easter egg of sorts today in his post-practice media scrum. When asked if any of the injured Ducks will be available for the game against the Montreal Canadiens, Carlyle said a decision would made on two of them tomorrow after the morning skate.
Carlyle also said it's "very doubtful" Ryan Getzlaf or Patrick Eaves play tomorrow. Both skaters missed a second consecutive day of practice as they continue to recover from lower-body injuries. However, Ondrej Kase, who suffered an upper-body injury on October 9 vs. the Calgary Flames, appears close to returning after missing the past three games.
