Wild Defenseman Ryan Suter: 'I Feel Like I'm Going to be Ready for Camp'

After having his season ended by an ankle injury, Ryan Suter is back on the ice and feels he'll be ready for Wild training camp.

There were fears that Ryan Suter’s career was over after the durable defenseman suffered a scary right ankle fracture on March 31 that ended his season early.

The Wild defenseman missed the final four regular season games for the Wild, as well as all five of their postseason tilts with the Jets. According to the Wild web site, he was unable to put any weight on the surgically repaired ankle for weeks, eventually having to use a scooter before graduating to crutches.

Despite the injury scare, Suter is adamant that he’ll be back sooner rather than later.

"The way I feel right now, I feel like I'm going to be ready for camp,” Suter told the Wild website. Even with folks in disbelief that he’d be able to return when training camp opens, the Minnesota blueliner is eager to get back out there. "I like doubters. When people say, 'You probably won't be ready for camp,' that just makes me angry. I might not be, but I'm sure as heck going to try as hard as I can.”

Having hit the ice again—he had his cast removed on July 4th—Suter is well on his way.

"I'm maybe a week-and-a-half behind of where I'd be in the summer time," he said. "I'd usually start skating at the end of July, so maybe two weeks. But by next week, I'll be putting the equipment on and skating. Right now, I'm just trying to get the bad stuff out of there."

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Suter posted six goals and 51 points in 78 games before his season came to an end, finishing fourth on the team in scoring and averaging a Wild-high 26:47 in ice time per game, the second-highest TOI in the NHL. At 33, he’s looking forward to proving he’s still the workhorse Minnesota signed to a monster 13-year, $98 million contract ahead of the 2012-13 season. 

“I’m going to be in better shape than I've ever been in. I've never worked this hard, this much,” he said. "I feel like this is going to be a blessing in disguise. I feel good right now. I feel like I'm back."