Coyotes' Martin Hanzal 'all healed up' after lengthy layoff following surgery

Martin Hanzal will be on the ice and able to contribute for the first time in seven months when the Arizona Coyotes open training camp in a couple weeks.

The hulking, oft-injured center opted for season-ending surgery to remove a herniated disk in mid-February, stepping away from a lost season early in order to be healthy enough to start fresh.

"That was the reason I decided to go have the surgery during the season," Hanzal told Craig Morgan of FOX Sports Arizona. "We knew where the season was going and we wanted to make sure I would be ready for camp."

Hanzal, who had the same procedure previously, suggested his situation last winter was turning pretty grim.

"I had pain that was shooting down my left leg and there were days where I couldn't feel my leg," he said. "They kind of cut the piece out that was pushing on my nerve and that was the reason I couldn't feel my leg.

"Now it's all good; all healed up."

Hanzal can provide value on his $3.5-million annual salary when healthy. He scored more than two points per 60 minutes of even-strength ice time before eventually succumbing to his ailment.