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Pronger shows improvement, “doing better” after doctor visit

Chris Pronger

Philadelphia Flyers’ Chris Pronger shoots the puck during NHL hockey practice in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday, April 19, 2011. The Buffalo Sabres play the Flyers in Game 4 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series on Wednesday. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

AP

Chris Pronger’s slow, frustrating concussion recovery has taken a positive turn.

That’s the word out of Philadelphia today as Flyers GM Paul Holmgren told Philly.com the veteran defenseman had shown improvement while visiting a Pittsburgh-area doctor last week.

“He’s doing better,” Holmgren explained. “But not to the point where he can think about playing.”

The next logical step, one would assume, is for Pronger to try and resume skating -- in any capacity -- though Holmgren said it’s “too soon” to consider such a step.

Regardless of whether Pronger returns to the ice in the near future, or at all, these recent developments have provided optimism in a recovery process that hasn’t seen much.

Two weeks ago, Holmgren said there was no change in Pronger’s status and that the towering rearguard was still experiencing headaches, almost 11 full months since the concussion occurred.