Though he’s not a young man anymore, Marian Hossa proved last season that he’s still capable of playing at an elite level for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Hossa turned in an All-Star season for the Hawks in 2011-2012. He led the team in points, not only performing as a force on offense, but continuing to quietly display that he’s one of the better two-way forwards in the NHL.
Of course, his season ended in the worst way possible, as Hossa took a brutal and illegal hit from Raffi Torres in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Phoenix Coyotes. It was a hit that brought Hossa’s career into question.
Hossa discussed the darkness (literally) that followed the hit last month at the Blackhawks Convention. He didn’t leave his house, or even the blackness of his room for that matter. He talked about his wife as if she was in Chicago, but she was back home in Slovakia. The recollection of the days after the concussion really raise the question of whether or not he’ll be ready for the season.
Despite the ugly picture that his account paints, Marian Hossa claims that he will be ready for training camp. If that does happen, the big question will be what we should expect to see from him in 2012-13.
It’s going to be tough for Hossa to be the force that he was last year in the new season for the Blackhawks. It’s probably going to take some time for him to get back to full strength not only in terms of his conditioning, but his play on the ice as well. It might even be a while before we see Hossa return to that level he was at last season.
Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean Hossa is going to come back and have a disappointing year, either. He’s simply a wild card for this team and he will remain as such until we actually see where he is in his recovery within the next few weeks.
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