Karl Alzner is hoping to be in the Washington Capitals' lineup on opening night.
The defenseman has been recovering from offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia and groin injury suffered last campaign.
Alzner has been working out and admits it's now just a matter of time before he's back to his best.
"I was working out after the first week [following the procedure], which was fast," Alzner said, according to Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic. "The hernia is going to be fine. The only thing is the groin; I’m still waiting for that to be 100-percent."
Alzner had been dealing with the injury for a large part of the year, but was forced to leave Game 6 in the second round of the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins - which his team ultimately lost, knocking them out of contention.
"I can do everything now, but I’m just maybe a half step slow because I can’t get the full extension with the power, the little kick at the end," said Alzner. "Once I get that kick back, then I’m 90-100 [percent]. So, I’m close."
His 458-game iron man streak remains intact and should extend as long as he's back to kick off the regular season.