Pavel Datsyuk isn’t close to returning from his ankle injury, but at least a recent visit with the doctor who operated on him in June went well:
Great News! Had a good doctor visit. Recovery from the ankle surgery is on schedule. See you soon back in Detroit.
— Pavel Datsyuk (@Datsyuk13) September 24, 2015
In Datsyuk’s case, on schedule means that he likely won’t return before late October or early November, per the team’s website. He also hasn’t started skated yet.
When he originally had surgery, the belief was that he would be fine for the start of the season, but about a month later that estimate changed substantially.
Injuries have unfortunately caused Datsyuk to miss significant chunks of four of the last five campaigns, but he has continued to play at an elite level when he is healthy. Even at the age of 37, Datsyuk is expected to be a key member of the 2015-16 Detroit Red Wings.