Brooks Laich nearing a return for the Washington Capitals
By Cory Buck
Brooks Laich has lost most of the last two seasons to a nasty groin injury that won’t go away. Now it appears he’s finally put all that behind him after having underwent surgery in March. Reports indicate Laich is finally ready to return to the old form that helped propel the Washington Capitals to the playoffs on an annual basis.
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Dan Rosen at NHL.com reports that after two years, Laich is finally pain free when he hits the ice. “Now when I step on the ice I feel completely free as opposed to very limited, like the last two years,” Laich said.
Laich had played just 60 games in the last two seasons with a dreaded groin injury — one of the worst kinds of injuries for a hockey player, who must rely on their hips and waist for all the power in their strides. If your groin is hurt, you aren’t playing effective hockey, period.
"“This summer, right from the day we started training, it’s been nothing but try to excel at the training and to push the limits,” Laich added. “There’s no inhibition or concern anymore. It is training to try and maximize your performance. I’m completely mentally and physically liberated from the groin injury and so excited to just resume playing hockey.”"
At 31 years old, center Brooks Laich still has plenty to offer for a Capitals team that’s looking to retool rather than rebuild after a disappointing season in which the team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Now with his injury behind him, Laich is hoping to take the Caps back where they belong.