Predicting How Top NHL Players Returning from Injury in 2015-16 Will Perform

As the clock ticks down to the beginning of the National Hockey League's 2015-16 campaign, a number of fanbases and fantasy enthusiasts are wondering whether some key players who have been dealing with injury issues during the offseason will be back in time for opening night—and when they'll be ready to perform at 100 percent when they do lace up their skates.

Time can heal many wounds. Today's pro athletes typically work during the offseason on finely tuned schedules that allow them to rest first, then gear up to report for training camp in top condition.

Injuries can throw a wrench into the best-laid plans, however—whether they're long-term issues that date back to last season, the battles of the playoffs or offseason surgeries or mishaps.

Here's a look at the biggest NHL stars who have been dealing with injuries this summer, when we can expect to see them back and how they'll perform when they get back into the lineup.

Evander Kane: Buffalo Sabres

Derek Leung/Getty Images

Age: 24

2014-15 Stats from NHL.com: 37 GP, 10-12-22 with Winnipeg Jets

What's His Injury? 

Evander Kane had surgery on his injured shoulder in early February with a projected recovery time of 4-6 months, according to Patrick Williams of NHL.com. Kane was traded to the Buffalo Sabres on February 11, just days after his surgery.

What's the Prognosis?

Kane has been back on the ice since mid-June, according to NHL.com. Kane's agent Craig Oster told Dhiren Mahiban of Pro Hockey Talk in late May that "he is ahead of schedule on his recovery, and the expectation is he will be completely healthy for the start of the Sabres’ season."

After a dismal 54-point campaign in 2015-16, there's almost nowhere but up for the Sabres to go next season. Kane's now the team's second-highest-paid player behind another new acquisition, Ryan O'Reilly. The team and its fans are hoping that Kane will return to the 30-goal form he showed in Winnipeg back in 2011-12 once he hits the ice in October.

Prediction

Kane's fiery personality will land him in rough waters in Buffalo before too long, but his tenure as a Sabre should start well. He looks to be fully healed and should get prime ice time under new coach Dan Bylsma. Expect Kane's first impressions in Buffalo to be positive. 

Mark Giordano: Calgary Flames

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Age: 31

2014-15 Stats from NHL.com: 61 GP, 11-37-48

What's His Injury? 

Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano had surgery in early March to repair a torn biceps tendon suffered in late February, per NHL.com.

His recovery time was projected to be four to five months.

What's the Prognosis?

When Giordano inked his new six-year, $40.5 million contract extension on August 25, he told Donna Spencer of the Canadian Press (via CBC.ca) that he was back to full health. 

"I've been skating at 100 percent, shooting at 100 percent and working out at 100 percent for a while now," Giordano said. "It's been well over a month of going full out. I'll be ready for camp."

Prediction

In the Norris Trophy conversation as the league's best defenseman for the last two seasons before his injury, and now with a contract extension in hand that will likely make him the Flames' highest-paid player in 2016-17, Giordano has a lot to live up to when he steps back on the ice.

The same is true for the entire Flames team after an overachieving trip to the second round of the playoffs last spring.

Giordano will be 32 by the time the new season begins—33 by the time his extension kicks in. Last year's biceps injury could be a harbinger of health issues that may end up plaguing the big-minute defenseman in the seasons to come.

Jamie Benn: Dallas Stars

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Age: 26

2014-15 Stats from NHL.com: 82 GP, 35-52-87, won Art Ross Trophy

What's His Injury? 

Though Jamie Benn appeared in all 82 regular-season games for the Dallas Stars and captured the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer with a four-point effort in his last game of the 2014-15 campaign, his health was not 100 percent.

Taking advantage of the Stars' long summer after the team missed the playoffs, Benn had surgery on both his hips in late April and early May, with an estimated recovery length of 4-5 months at the time, per NHL.com.

What's the Prognosis?

Benn is back on the ice. He was skating three times a week at the beginning of August and said he wants to help the Stars start their season on the right foot in October.

"We need to get off on the right foot, we need to be prepared and we need to build on the things we did at the end of last season. We learned a lot, so we need to remember those lessons," Benn told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.

Prediction 

It's optimistic to assume that Benn will be 100 percent for opening night, but he proved last season that he can play through pain. As long as he doesn't suffer a setback, expect to see the reigning Art Ross champion surge out of the gate to start 2015-16.

Pavel Datsyuk: Detroit Red Wings

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Age: 37

2014-15 Stats from NHL.com: 63 GP, 26-39-65

What's His Injury? 

When Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press tweeted on June 26 that Pavel Datsyuk had season-ending ankle surgery, she said he'd be in a cast for four to six weeks.

By July 20, Marie Lehmann and Elton Eiranson of the Swedish website SVT.se reported that Datsyuk's recovery was taking longer than expected and a timetable of four to five months for his recovery was more likely, per Brendan Savage at MLive.

What's the Prognosis?

On August 13, St. James reported that Datsyuk's not due to see his surgeon for a progress report until September 26, midway through preseason. That timeline offers every indication that the Detroit Red Wings shouldn't expect to see the dazzling Russian back in their lineup until at least November.

Prediction

Datsyuk scored 26 goals last season and continued to be a game-changer, even as he's starting to miss more and more time as his body breaks down. 

Expect to see flashes of brilliance from Datsyuk when he is game-ready during the new season. Also expect those injury absences to increase in frequency as he slides into the twilight of his NHL career.

Max Pacioretty: Montreal Canadiens

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Age: 26

2014-15 Stats from NHL.com: 80 GP, 37-30-67; playoffs 11 GP, 5-2-7

What's His Injury? 

After a relatively healthy 2014-15 season that saw him miss just the last two regular-season and first playoff games with an upper-body injury, Max Pacioretty hurt his knee during offseason training.

Arpon Basu of NHL.com reported on July 10 that Pacioretty's recovery timeline was estimated at about 12 weeks, putting his return for the beginning of the regular season in question.

What's the Prognosis?

On August 12, Basu caught up with Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien, who sounded optimistic about Pacioretty's rehabilitation.

"Max has always surprised us with his ability to return a little bit earlier than scheduled," Therrien said. "But right now everything's going well, he's recovering well, and that's good news."

Prediction 

Pacioretty has been through plenty of injuries in his seven-year NHL career, but he has established a pattern of returning earlier than expected—and with all his offensive skills intact.

With that in mind, expect to see Habs fans breathe a sigh of relief when their team's leading scorer suits up for his goal-starved club for the season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 7.

Ryan McDonagh: New York Rangers

Mike Carlson/Getty Images

Age: 26 

2014-15 Stats from NHL.com: 71 GP, 8-25-33; playoffs 19 GP, 3-6-9

What's His Injury? 

After his New York Rangers lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final to the Tampa Bay Lightning, captain Ryan McDonagh was revealed to have been playing with a broken foot since Game 4 of the series, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.

What's the Prognosis?

Though McDonagh's injury didn't need surgery, he spent six weeks in a walking boot and didn't start skating until August 1, but Dan Rosen of NHL.com reported McDonagh had returned to his normal summer training routine by August 19.

"I'm back skating on the ice, doing leg strength stuff in the weight room, running and jumping," McDonagh said from his offseason home in Minnesota. "I'm really trying to put it all behind me now and gear up here for the start of training camp."

Prediction

McDonagh sounds like he'll be at 100 percent when the Rangers convene for training camp on September 18—ready to step back into his role as New York's high-minute man when the regular season begins.

Tyler Johnson: Tampa Bay Lightning

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Age: 25

2014-15 Stats from NHL.com: 77 GP, 29-43-72; playoffs 26 GP, 13-10-23

What's His Injury? 

Another playoff casualty, Tyler Johnson of the Tampa Bay Lightning had been the leading scorer in the postseason before suffering a broken wrist in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.

Johnson managed just one goal and one assist in the five games after the injury and stopped taking faceoffs after Game 2, clearly limited in his ability to contribute to his team against the Chicago Blackhawks.

What's the Prognosis?

Smith reported on August 13 that Johnson is "recovering on the time line" but had just had his wrist brace removed and had been "limited to cardio, core and light upper-body workouts since the season ended." 

Johnson's hoping that a month of activity without the brace will have him ready to participate fully in training camp.

Prediction 

Johnson's on-ice contributions for the Lightning really are "all in the wrist." Lingering aftereffects from his injury or a drop in fitness due to a disrupted offseason of training could lead to issues for the diminutive center when he steps back onto the ice for the new season.

Nicklas Backstrom: Washington Capitals

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Age: 27

2014-15 Stats from NHL.com: 82 GP, 18-60-78; playoffs 14 GP, 3-5-8

What's His Injury? 

Like Jamie Benn, Nicklas Backstrom played every game and put up outstanding numbers—leading the NHL in assists and becoming the Washington Capitals' all-time assist leader at the tender age of 27—all while dealing with a nagging hip issue.

In mid-June, Backstrom told Swedish writer Erik Illerhag of Gefle Dagblad, via a translation from Malin Elis of Hockey Ramblings, that "I’ve been in pain since sometime in November, so we had to fix it. It’s hard to say how long it will take for me to come back. It varies from individual to individual, but five months is a time frame I have heard."

What's the Prognosis?

Backstrom's arthroscopic surgery took place around the beginning of June. If the five-month estimate holds true, he won't be ready to get back onto the ice until early November—after the new season is underway.

In an interview by Daniel Sandstrom with Swedish paper Arbetarbladet on August 26, Backstrom confirmed that he's still not sure if he'll be recovered in time for opening night in October.

Prediction

Jared Clinton of the Hockey News believes the Capitals have the depth up the middle in Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky to fill in for Backstrom if he's not ready to start the season. But Backstrom's chemistry with Alex Ovechkin is something special.

Missing the durable Backstrom for any period of time could prove to be a tough challenge to overcome for a Capitals team that's poised to move up to the top tier of Eastern Conference clubs in 2015-16.