Jason Spezza has started skating with the Black Aces of the Ottawa Senators. "He's skating much harder, competing much better, and feeling much stronger," GM Bryan Murray told radio station The Team 1200 on Friday. "Skating with the Black Aces is a more serious involvement for him. He's got to practice a few times with the team before (coach) Paul (MacLean) thinks about making a change, but there's light at the end of the tunnel." The Senators advanced into the second round of the playoffs after Thursday night's win, which gives Spezza a slightly larger window to get better and possibly return at some point.

Jason Spezza has begun more rigorous training, but he still believed to be a long way away from returning to the lineup. "He's skating and it's gone beyond public skating," said coach Paul MacLean Wednesday. "It's gone to the next stage of his rehab. We're hoping for him it can progress as quickly as it can. At the same time, it has to be done properly. He has elevated his work schedule and that's good." MacLean added that Spezza isn't close to resuming practices with the team, which would indicate that he's nearing a return to playing. Ottawa's top center underwent back surgery in January and the fact that he's making progress now is encouraging.

The Montreal Gazette reported Saturday that there is speculation that Jason Spezza (back) will return to action for Game 3 Sunday. We find that hard to believe given reports that he was just skating casually last week. That said, Mike Boone of Inside Out reported about the speculation. We will let you know once more is known.

Don't expect Jason Spezza (back) to rejoin the Senators lineup anytime soon. Spezza, who had surgery to repair a disc in his back on Jan. 31, didn't even come with the Senators on their trip to Montreal, opting to stay in Ottawa to continue his rehab. "He's continuing his process and his rehab, so I'm not sure what that entails today, but he's in Ottawa, I know that," said coach Paul MacLean. "He's rehabbing. I'm not sure if he's skating or he's just in the gym. He's having a normal rehab day whatever that requires. I have no idea (if he's closer)."

Jason Spezza has begun skating on his own as he continues to recovery from back surgery. Although he is nowhere near a return to game action, it's a pretty big step in a positive direction. Sens' coach Paul MacLean was quick to temper expectations with respect to his star center's return to the lineup. "He's been skating, but he's at the public skating stage, really," said MacLean, and by that he means going easy, not doing laps to music while holding hands with his wife Jennifer. "It's significant because he's started to skate, but it's public skating, really." We can't recommend drafting Spezza in any playoff pool but he will be a strong pick for next year's draft.

Jason Spezza (back surgery) is making progress but has yet to begin skating, according to the Ottawa Citizen. Spezza's been sidelined since Jan. 27 and while there was hope he might play again this season, that hope seems to be fading with each practice and each game that passes. Hopefully by this point you've taken our advice and cut bait with Spezza. If you haven't, there's no point in holding onto him in most formats.

Jason Spezza (back surgery) might not return to the Ottawa Senators this season, according to general manager Bryan Murray. Spezza has been sidelined since Jan. 27, but Murray said earlier in March that he hoped the center would return in two to three weeks. On Thursday, Murray was much less optimistic, calling Spezza "real borderline" to play again this season. This seems to lend credence to a report two weeks ago from Renaud Lavoie of RDS that said Spezza was dealing with "some stiffness" in his back that could keep him out another month. At this point, it looks safe to cut bait with Spezza in most formats.

Ottawa coach Paul MacLean claims he was unaware of any new development in Jason Spezza's recovery from back surgery. A report surfaced from Renaud Lavoie of RDS Wednesday night, which stated that Spezza is dealing with "some stiffness" in his back, which is slowing his progress and it may keep him out for another month. "I have no idea," MacLean said after Ottawa's shootout loss to Montreal. "I don't know. Not that I know of. I don't know anything about that. I was here all day, just like (the media)."

Jason Spezza (back) might not be able to return to the Senators lineup for another month, according to RDS' Renaud Lavoie. Lavoie says that the center "won't be back in two weeks" because he's still dealing with "some stiffness" in his back. Spezza is really only on his sixth week of recovery from back surgery on a timetable that was pegged for six-to-eight weeks, but it seems like he'll need a bit longer than that to get back into the lineup. If it takes him the four weeks, that leaves him with just a handful of games to play in the regular season and you'll have to wonder if Ottawa falls out of the race, whether it will be worth it for him to return this season at all.

Before you get too excited about that 2-3 week recovery window for Jason Spezza, do note that he hasn't started skating yet. Still, it's not as if many players need more than a couple weeks to at least get close to game shape once their returns approach. Spezza must be chomping at bit to get back; he has only played in five games this season, scoring five points in the process.