Vokoun passes first test - Nashville, Tennessee - Wednesday, 01/03/07 - Tennessean.com
Predators goaltender Tomas Vokoun moved one step closer to returning to the lineup as he blocked shots from several teammates on Tuesday morning, using his stick for the first time since injuring his thumb on Nov. 23.
Coach Barry Trotz said Vokoun will participate in a full practice with the team today and could see action in a game as soon as this weekend.
"It's no pain, that is obviously the most important thing," said Vokoun, who had surgery on Nov. 27 to repair torn ligaments in his thumb. "It feels pretty good."
Vokoun will not necessarily slide back into his full-time starter role right away. Trotz said early on he could rotate Vokoun and Chris Mason, who is 12-6-1 since taking over as the starter on Nov. 25.
"I could see that happening, but at the same time at some point you tend to go with a No. 1," Trotz said. "Whoever plays better toward the end of the year is going to be the guy who is going in.
"We'll just let them play right now. The number one goal is getting Tomas back into the loop, getting him comfortable, getting him playing again. With the way Mase has played, the urgency to get Tomas back in quickly is a lot less."