One day at a time, is what they say.
It was a huge blow for the Blue Jackets to lose Seth Jones in a meaningless preseason game, and head coach John Tortorella somewhat lamented his decision to play Jones in the Kraft Hockeyville game after the injury.
But that's hindsight and the Blue Jackets had to move forward without their top defenseman, opening the door for younger and more inexperienced players to earn an opportunity in his absence. They've won three of five games (3–2–0) without Jones, but they'd like him back as soon as possible.
John Tortorella told Anthony Rothman and Bobby Carpenter during his Wednesday "Hockey and Hounds" segment that Jones was on the ice and had a good day.
Torts says Seth Jones had a "very good day" today at practice... Won't ease him in when we returns "He's playing"
— Carpenter & Rothman (@971CandR) October 17, 2018
He's been skating this week with Blue Jackets assistant/skills coach Kenny McCudden, and merely getting Jones back on the ice is an encouraging step. He was projected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with an MCL injury suffered Sept. 25, which would put him on track to return by the end of October at earliest.
"I think it's going to be more on the '4' (weeks) end than the '6'," Tortorella said of Jones' original timeline for a return. "When he's ready to go...I'm not easing him in. He's playing."
