Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, who had his appendix removed last week, won’t return to the lineup tonight when Anaheim hosts Florida at the Honda Center.
It’s not even clear when he’ll resume practicing with his teammates.
Getzalf has yet to be greenlit for taking contact, which is why he had to rule himself out for a fourth straight contest.
What’s interesting, though, is that despite a 4-12 day recovery window, Getzlaf still isn’t totally sure when he’ll be back in the mix, because of potential complications from a sports hernia he played with during last year’s playoffs.
“The main thing isn’t the actual surgery,” Getzlaf explained, per the L.A. Daily News. “It’s the way they go in and the recovery. It’s all around the abs and stuff.
“From there, we have to be cautious because of (past) hernia problems and those things.”
Getzlaf didn’t undergo surgery to repair the sports hernia, opting for rehab instead.
Looking ahead, both Getzlaf and the Ducks appear to be circling one of this weekend’s games for his potential return. Anaheim hosts Columbus on Friday, then makes a quick trip to San Jose for the second of a back-to-back on Saturday night.
If he’s unable to go for either of those, Getzlaf could return Monday when Arizona visits the Honda Center.
Assuming, of course, there aren’t any complications.