Colorado center Matt Duchene took another big step in his recovery from a knee injury today, skating with teammates for the first time in over a month and a half.
Duchene hurt his left knee on Dec. 29 in a 3-2 win over Phoenix after getting tangled and catching a rut while checking Rostislav Klesla. The original diagnosis was a four-week recovery period, only to be pushed back after Duchene struggled with his skating in individual sessions.
The third-year pro was quite excited about his return to practice, something he shared by using the Twitter machine’s magical powers:
“He looked good out there,” Colorado center Paul Stastny said of Duchene. “It’s good to see him with a smile on his face, and hopefully he can be back with us real soon.”
Duchene had 12G-12A-24PTS in 39 games prior to getting hurt, averaging over 17 minutes per contest. The Denver Post reports he’s unlikely to play on Wednesday when the Avs face the Canucks in Vancouver, but will travel with teammates as they continue on to Edmonton and Winnipeg.