It cost him his season, a season when he likely could have seen a call-up to Boston by the end, when the Bruins were less than pleased with the performance of backup Jonas Gustavsson. And it took him off the ice, at a time when he wanted to be there, badly.
"He was progressing great," Boston assistant coach Jay Pandolfo said Tuesday. "It was unfortunate, the injury he had, having to miss half a season. But he's definitely on the right track."
That road, he hopes, will end with him making the Bruins in the fall, challenging and beating out Khudobin for the right to back up Tuukka Rask. He has new gear, new protection, in the form of an upgraded neck piece and neck guard.
As he said, "Honestly, I feel like a tank. I'm not even worried at all about getting hit again."
Subban has fully recovered, other than a hit to his singing voice. He is ready. He welcomes the challenge and believes in himself and his ability to make these Bruins, to not return to the AHL for a fourth season.
"My goal is to make the team, come in this year as it is every year," Subban said. "So that's what I'm going to try and do, but regardless of where I am I just have to play well, give my team a chance to win every night. I feel like if I can bring that, for sure, they'll notice and they'll respect that, and hopefully I'll get an opportunity, an opportunity that I want."