David Krejci sounded optimistic about returning for the Bruins on Thursday against the Blackhawks, though he has yet to be cleared by doctors, he said.
The Bruins center has played just 11 games this season as he has battled through multiple stints out of the lineup. He has not played since Nov. 18, having missed the last eight games after coming back for one game against the Blues. He had missed the four games before that, as well.
Asked if he was worried about coming back into the lineup, then getting reinjured, Krejci said, "100 percent."
"It's happened to me twice. It's in the back of my head. It's not something I would love to think about, but at the end of the day when the decision comes that I can play, then obviously I get a little nervous. That's going to happen if I am ready or close to be ready, I'll be nervous. Until I have that first game under my belt and I'm ready for the next one."
Krejci practiced with the team on Wednesday. He did not practice in the first set of drills with the power play, but jumped into the drills later in the session. He skated with Milan Lucic and Loui Eriksson, possibly signaling a return to the group that was supposed to be on the first line, but did not stay together beyond training camp.
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Krejci has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his 11 games this season.
"I feel like once I'm back and once I get through the first game and I feel good, then setbacks, nothing I have to deal with," Krejci said. "I don't feel like this is some injury that it's going to bother me the whole year. I think that when it's done, it's done, and we can move on."
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Follow Amalie Benjamin on Twitter at @amaliebenjamin.