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Sabres’ Gorges is happy about how his knee is healing

Buffalo Sabres v Montreal Canadiens

Buffalo Sabres v Montreal Canadiens

NHLI via Getty Images

When he wasn’t suffering through losses with the Buffalo Sabres last season, veteran defenseman Josh Gorges was dealing with pain.

His 2014-15 season was cut short by knee surgery back in February. The 31-year-old is no stranger to rehabbing injuries, so perhaps that explains why he seems optimistic when speaking with the Montreal Gazette late last week.

“It’s been a long road, six months of doing rehab every day, trying to get things back,” Gorges said. “The last couple of weeks I’ve really taken another step in my recovery – from just getting back on the ice to now starting to feel normal in my skating again, able to do all the things I want to do in a game. I’ve been really happy with how things have gone lately.”

Taking the slow approach might make some antsy, but Gorges knows he “doesn’t need to be an idiot” at this stage of his career.

On that note, he seems comfortable transitioning to the role of telling others not to be idiots.

The Sabres are bringing in a lot of young talent, and while Gorges insists that everyone needs to take part of the leadership task, he stands as one of the most experienced hands on the roster. Some might argue, then, that he’s nearly as important for the locker room as he is on the ice.

Of course, his words won’t resonate much if he can’t play at all. It sounds like he’s putting himself in position for a healthy return.