The Nashville Predators provided an update on the recovery of franchise goaltender Pekka Rinne this afternoon, and while the news sounds positive, we’re still in for a long wait before he’ll be ready to play again.
…the recovery and rehabilitation from a bacterial infection does not involve a specific timetable. It does come with a degree of uncertainty.
To that end, and in taking every possible precaution to insure the bacterial infection is managed and controlled with a goal of returning Pekka to full strength, the doctors have recommended Pekka remain on limited activity for two weeks before considering more strenuous activity in his recovery and rehabilitation.
It had been hoped that today’s update might bring news that Rinne would be able to escalate his exercise regimen and take a step towards game readiness, but that’s not in the cards yet. Presumably this kills off any chance he had to play for Finland in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where the hockey tournament begins on February 8th.
Obviously, the concern here is to make sure Rinne makes a full recovery, and given the unique nature of this situation, we just don’t have the familiar timetable often seen with strains, sprains, and broken bones. Fortunately for the Preds, Carter Hutton and Marek Mazanec have done a fine job in Rinne’s absence, with more of the blame for Nashville’s fortunes falling on the lack of goal-scoring instead.
One can’t help recall the classic line from The Money Pit, however…
Get well, Pekka, and take as long as you need to do so.
