Carl Dahlstrom has a stall in the Toronto Maple Leafs' locker room and the defenseman continues to skate with conditioning staff following should surgery he had in October.
"He’s a long ways away from entering into the equation but it’s certainly nice to see," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Dahlstrom's status.
The Swede was injured on Sept. 28 in a pre-season game against the Montreal Canadiens when he was cross-checked by Rem Pitlick in the first period.
It was announced a day later that Dahlstrom would miss six months with a shoulder injury.
Keefe admitted that he hasn't asked for detailed reports on the defenseman in recent days given the distance in his timeline, but he certainly hasn't forgotten about him, especially when the Leafs were going through a myriad of injuries at the position all season long.
"You started to get pretty deep into the pool of players at the AHL level and he was going to be one of our first call-ups and did a good job for us last season," Keefe said. "But it was a good chance for others to step up and all of a sudden between the [Filip] Krals and [Mac] Hollowells you give them some experience that helps us down the line."
Dahlstrom was about to handle the puck but wasn't seen putting a lot into his shot. Although the injury's initial timeframe would keep him out through March, the Leafs are hopeful Dahlstrom can get back to full health before the season ends.
"I think he’s progressing well and in good spirts and all that stuff and hopefully he’ll become an option for us at some point."
Apart from Dahlstrom, Jake Muzzin (out indefinitely with a cervical spine issue) and Victor Mete (lower-body injury), Toronto's health on defense has been at its healthiest in quite some time.
The 27-year-old Dahlstrom is currently on a one-year, two-way contract that pays him $750,000 at the NHL level and $400,000 at the AHL level. He recorded two assists in three games with the Leafs last season.
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