DETROIT – Even with an extra hospital stay, Dave Andreychuk’s return from his latest broken ankle is way ahead of schedule.
The Devils say Andreychuk may rejoin the lineup tonight at the Meadowlands against the Islanders, but even if that proves overly optimistic, he figures he’ll be back next week for certain, either in Tampa Monday or Boston Thursday.
Last night, when the Devils faced the Red Wings here, Andreychuk missed his 21st straight game since breaking his right ankle Jan. 5, fallen upon by Sharks defenseman Magnus Ragnarsson. The initial prognosis had his return anywhere from the first to the third week of March.
It might have been even quicker. He would have been in action in Wednesday’s 7-1 rout of the Lightning at the Meadowlands had he not suffered an infection around the scar where screws were inserted to stabilize the broken bone.
“It had been irritated and started to get red, so I went onto antibiotics and nothing happened,” said Andreychuk, who skated on his own in New Jersey yesterday. “So I went into the hospital for 1 days of serious antibiotics. I came out Monday,” Andreychuk said.
Andreychuk had skated heavily for a week after his cast came off, before the infection put a temporary halt to his reconditioning work.
“I didn’t skate for three days, so that set me back,” Andreychuk said. “I have to practice, and that’s why I [was] on this trip. I’m hoping to get the green light, but the final decision is Robbie Ftorek’s.”
Andreychuk was tied for second place among the team’s goal-scorers when he was injured, and will return with totals of 11-11-22 and plus-1 in 29 games. The NHL’s active leader among left wings with 528 goals, Andreychuk ranks 20th all-time in that department.
There will be significant pressure on the 35-year-old to produce quickly upon his return. If he can’t score in bunches, the Devils will have to resort to a deal to bolster their offense if they harbor hopes of contending for the Stanley Cup.
There will also be personal pressure on Andreychuk. He can become an unrestricted free agent July 1, and failing to reach 20 goals for the second straight season would not improve his market value.
Andreychuk seemed to be just regaining his form when he suffered this broken ankle. He cannot wait a year to rebound from this fracture.
