If the lockout ends, Nathan Horton’s agent Paul Krepelka told ESPN Boston’s James Murphy that the Boston Bruins power forward could jump right back into NHL action.
“Nathan is healthy and ready for the season to start,” Krepelka said. “Has been for a while now. He’s ready to go and has been ready to go.”
Horton was cleared for contact in late July, but that doesn’t always mean that a player is prepared to hit the ground running.
That’s especially true with post-concussion syndrome. Horton hasn’t played an NHL game since Jan. 22, when he suffered his second concussion in just seven months, so this is a welcome development.
Injured players might be among the few beneficiaries of the lockout, at least relatively speaking, as Horton faces little temptation to return to action prematurely.
Horton being close to 100 percent is scary news for opponents who remember how difficult the Horton-David Krejci-Milan Lucic line was to handle at times during the last couple seasons.