Bouchard's recovering, but quite slowly

Bruce Bisping, Star Tribune

Pierre-Marc Bouchard is still hampered by a concussion. The Wild playmaker is frustrated, but says he’s making steady progress.

Sidelined because of a concussion he suffered in March, Pierre Marc Bouchard says he's making progress. And he's eager to return to the ice.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: November 23, 2009 - 2:45 PM

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WILD OFF DAY Up next: 7 p.m. Wednesday vs. Boston • Xcel Energy Center • TV: Ch. 45 (830-AM)

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In March, after the Wild trounced the Islanders in Uniondale, N.Y., Jacques Lemaire vented afterward about how a bunch of Islanders turned "brave" and targeted the Wild's skilled players, such as Pierre-Marc Bouchard.

"When you're running after guys that don't fight and they're not tough, it doesn't tell me a lot," the former Wild coach said March 25. "They tried to run us out of the building, so it'll be interesting next year when we pay them back."

At that late juncture, you can bet Lemaire knew he wouldn't be back. He couldn't have known that Bouchard wouldn't be, either.

When the Wild and the Islanders met again last week, Bouchard was still sidelined because of a concussion that was originally sustained that March evening after he was hammered by Nate Thompson.

"I was watching my pass, which is never a good thing," Bouchard, 25, said Friday. "I don't wish this injury on anybody. It takes time. It's not like a broken wrist. You just don't know how much time it's going to take."

The Wild's best playmaker is beyond frustrated. He came to training camp thinking that he was completely healed from the concussion. He was motivated to rebound after a 46-point season and excited about a change in the system and a switch from right wing to center to potentially play alongside Martin Havlat.

But in Bouchard's first exhibition game, against Columbus, he was hit in the chin during a scrum at the net. He worried that he might have suffered another concussion, but blood work showed he had the flu, and he was put on antibiotics.

But Bouchard never seemed convinced, dropping hints that he thought he was concussed before playing in the exhibition finale at Philadelphia and season opener in Columbus, Ohio.

"I was sick, which is why it was so hard to tell if I really had a concussion or was fighting off the virus," Bouchard said. "After the virus was gone, that's when the neurologist in Denver really saw it was a concussion."

Bouchard has seen progress the past few weeks, so "I know I'm going in the right direction. That's why it's keeping me with a better attitude. But it's slow. I'm getting really bored, and I'm getting really anxious to come back and play.

"For sure it would be easier if the team would be winning more. I've been following the games on TV and here in the press box, and the guys are trying and playing much better lately. But I'd rather be on the ice and helping them."

The problem is that, while he's not dealing with dizziness, vision problems or nausea anymore, Bouchard still feels an intense pressure in his head at times.

Until he's symptom-free, he's not able to even work out. His only activity the past six weeks has been short walks around his Woodbury neighborhood.

Because Bouchard has been so out of sight, out of mind, it's been easy to forget how significant his loss has been to the 14th-place Wild. In the second year of a five-year, $20.4 million contract, Bouchard had 50 assists two years ago and 20 goals three years ago.

"You really need two lines that can consistently score in this league to win, and Bouchard was going to be a big part of that second line, and obviously he's a big contributor on the power play historically," GM Chuck Fletcher said.

Asked if he's worried that he may not be able to return this season, Bouchard said, "I'm pretty positive. I want to be positive, but who knows? It might happen. It might not. I might be ready in two weeks. It might be in two months. You just don't know with concussions, and then I'll have to get back into shape."

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