Center Marc Savard's rollercoaster offseason hit another low when Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli revealed that Savard is again suffering from post-concussion symptoms and won't be able to participate in camp activities for now.
"The latter part of the summer he came to us and said that he has been suffering from some symptoms that are related to post-concussion syndrome," said Chiarelli. "He's here. He's being treated. He won't be skating."
Savard was originally injured by a blindside hit from Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke on March 7. He was cleared to play in the second round of the playoffs against Philadelphia and played all seven games of that series, though he was obviously not quite his old self as he appeared to struggle to regain his timing and rhythm after the long layoff.
After working out intensely this summer to prepare for the upcoming season, Savard began suffering symptoms again in recent weeks, and was scheduled to meet with doctors on Friday.
"Any time there's this recurrence, there's concern, but he's a very durable guy," said Chiarelli. "He's played hurt in the past. He wants to come back and we want him to be healthy."
Chiarelli did say there was no timetable for Savard's return, and Savard himself did not speak with reporters.
"He's in good spirits," said Chiarelli. "I talked to him and he's anxious to get back. We're just being very cautious and we'll take it day by day."
Savard's loss for any extended period will be a major blow to a Bruins' club that finished last in the league in scoring in 2009-10. Despite persistent trade rumors involving Savard over the summer, he was still slated to center Boston's top line with newly-acquired sniper Nathan Horton and be an integral part of the Bruins' offense.
"It's unfortunate," said head coach Claude Julien. "Right now we're missing a real good player, a player that we certainly want to see back in our lineup. Those are the things we can't control from a coach's point of view and we've got to move without him for the time being. My focus has to be on those 50-plus players that we have in our training camp."
The Bruins still have strong depth down the middle with Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Greg Campbell, while Julien also stated that top prospect Tyler Seguin will remain at center to start camp. Fellow prospects Joe Colborne and Zach Hamill could also compete for spots with the big club, but Julien recognizes that replacing Savard won't be easy.
"It's pretty unanimous in our group that we want him back as soon as possible," said Julien. "We know the impact he can have on a game when he's a healthy player, so we'll hope that gets taken care of and he comes back in great health soon."
Savard's teammates were surprised by the news as well, but have dealt with enough injuries in recent years to know they have no choice but to soldier on.
"We've been through adversity before," said Bergeron. "We're a strong team, even mentally now because of all the things that have happened the past three years. It's something we've learned to battle through and it makes us a stronger team, but right now it's about Savvy's health."
Bergeron had to overcome a severe concussion of his own that cost him the final 72 games of the 2007-08 season. He can appreciate what Savard is going through and offered his support.
"For now, we don't know," said Bergeron. "I don't know enough about Savvy's situation to comment on it, but my support is there for him. I'm behind him and I just want him to feel better and get well."
That was a sentiment echoed throughout the organization.
"There's nobody to blame here," said Julien. "It is what it is. Those are things that happen and the timing is never great, but more than anything else you always worry about the health of the player. We want him to get better and I think that's what we need to do here is support him in getting better. … After that we'll look forward to having him join us and definitely making us a stronger, better team."
