While the news isn’t too rosy for Marian Gaborik, the Columbus Blue Jackets can see light at the end of the injury tunnel for Nathan Horton and Sergei Bobrovsky.
Both participated in an optional team skate on Monday and both felt positive about that bit of practice afterward, the Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline reports. In fact, there’s at least an outside chance that one or both of those key figures will return to action sometime during a four-game road trip that stretches from Dec. 31 - Jan. 6.
“Honestly, before this skate I didn’t think I was going to (play on this road trip),” Horton said. “Depending on how I feel tomorrow, and maybe after I do this for a couple more days, maybe closer to the end (of the trip) I can play.”
Horton, 28, continues to rehab from offseason surgery while Bobrovsky, 25, has been sidelined since Dec. 3 with a groin injury.
Portzline guesses that the Blue Jackets will be “ultra-safe” with Horton by returning him on Jan. 10 while Bob could be back as soon as Jan. 2’s road game against the Phoenix Coyotes, but we’ll need to wait and see.