Mika Zibanejad at practice during the Senators Training Camp held in Binghamton.
For the time being, Mika Zibanejad’s development is caught in a holding pattern.
The Ottawa Senators’ prospect has been out for nearly a month with a variety of non-hockey ailments — starting with the removal of four wisdom teeth, followed up by a bout of strep throat and rounding out the trifecta was dealing with a serious stomach flu.
Despite the unnatural hat trick, Zibanejad was in good spirits when reached in Binghamton, N.Y., home of the Senators’ primary affiliate.
“It’s a new team from last year and a young team. It has been a process, but I feel it’s getting better and better,” said Zibanejad, a sixth overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, who appeared in seven NHL games last season before returning home to play in Sweden. “It’s good, fast-paced hockey and you just have to go with your instincts. There are only positives so far.”
