Regin Cleared For Contact

If you’ve been visiting this site frequently over the past few seasons, you should have inevitably come across a piece or three that have sung the praises of Senators forward Peter Regin. 

Thanks to his blend of skating, puck possession skills, hockey IQ and Danish good looks, despite some frustrating production at times, I always believed that his numbers would eventually catch up to his abilities.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen glimpses of that talent. We will always have that 2010 Eastern Conference quarterfinals playoff series versus the Penguins in which he tallied 3 goals. His ridiculous goal against the Chicago Blackhawks will live on in all its YouTube glory. 

When he put three points in his first five games on last season’s Senators team that struggled out of the gate, it looked like the center was starting to fulfill some of his potential while engratiating him to new head coach Paul MacLean. 

Unfortunately, thanks to a shoulder that seems like it has been made of glass candy, our concern for Regin’s production has shifted to concern as to whether he can escape a game unscathed.

Having injured the same left shoulder three times in the 2011 calendar year, Regin’s doing his best to quell any lingering doubts. 

In an interview with someone affiliated with the Sens in what they are referring to as their Friday Phone Call, he had this to say about the status of his shoulder: 

“I met with my surgeon yesterday and got cleared for contact so I’m pretty much there. It’s been  a long road but it’s been a good summer too. Like I said, I spent most of the summer here in Ottawa to do the rehab and it’s been very good. The guys have helped me out a lot and it is where I want to be right now.”

Like many of Ottawa’s other young players (ie. Kyle Turris), it’s somewhat reassuring to hear that he’s taking the rehab and his training so seriously. 

“I’m doing still doing rehab on my shoulder and training that more than I would if I hadn’t had an injury.”

…Yeesh, please add some extra emphasis to the word ‘somewhat’ that I used in my earlier paragraph. 

If healthy, I don’t think there’s any question that Regin can be a useful player for the organization. Of course, much of that sentiment is predicated on the wishful thinking that he could return to his natural center position. With internal candidates like Jim O’Brien and Zack Smith vying for the third line center spot, neither player is exactly renowned for their offensive talents – after a torrid first half, Smith only tallied 3 goals and 3 assists after the New Year. 

I might be getting ahead of myself thinking that Regin will be healthy enough to compete for a center spot. The coaching staff may prefer to insulate him and keep him away from the faceoff dot where he will inevitably put some torque and strain on that surgically repaired shoulder remains to be seen. 

NHL 13 Ratings Released: 

For the videogame inclined, the latest ratings for EA Sports’ NHL franchise have been released. Via Puck Daddy, below are Ottawa’s ratings: 

 
At least this gives fans something to complain about beside the possibility of a lockout.