Training camp is mere weeks away, but when Jonathan Huberdeau will be ready to take to the ice again is still a mystery.
The Calgary Flames veteran suffered a setback in his recovery from hip resurfacing surgery, general manager Craig Conroy told Jock Wilson on the QR770 radio station in Calgary on Tuesday.
"I think this is a major surgery, so he had a little bit of a setback, maybe two weeks ago, with his skating," Conroy said. "We just want to make sure we do the right thing for him. If it is to take a little bit more time, and have him 100 per cent feeling good about the hip, that's what we're going to do."
The GM added that Huberdeau's progress in the gym was still very positive, but the team wants to err on the side of caution when it comes to preparing for physical contact.
Huberdeau was shut down in late January with the Flames firmly out of the playoff mix in order to address chronic hip pain. He underwent the procedure in March.
"It's still on his schedule," Conroy added. "We're not going to rush him into something, but we feel at the beginning of the year, he's going to be pretty close. It's just when, we're not 100 per cent sure of yet."
The 32-year-old is entering the fourth year of an eight-year, $84 million contract that runs through the 2030-31 season.
He finished last season with 10 goals and 15 assists in 50 games.
