Timing is right for Stuart

MARK STUART Fully healthy

First-round pick. Captain of his college team during his junior season. Captain of the team of teenagers that won the United States' first gold medal at the World Junior Tournament.

In terms of hockey upbringing, Mark Stuart boasts an impressive résumé. But his NHL career hasn't followed the trajectory that he set in earlier years.

In where-did-the-time-go fashion, Stuart will enter Bruins training camp next month as a third-year pro with only 32 games of NHL experience.

In 2005-06, after leaving Colorado College a year early, Stuart played 60 matches in Providence, adjusting to the pace and lifestyle of the pro game. Stuart, the team's No. 1 pick in 2003 (they selected Patrice Bergeron in the second round that year), was expected to challenge for a big-league job in 2006-07. But he underwent knee surgery July 14, 2006, missed training camp, and saw action in only 15 NHL games because of the setback.

Stuart and the Providence Bruins thought they could go deep in the AHL playoffs. But the defenseman sprained his right ankle and played in only three games.

"He could barely put any pressure on it," said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. "But he gutted it out for a couple games. He's a tough kid."

As Stuart enters the final season of his three-year entry-level deal, the 6-foot-2-inch defenseman is fully healthy. He understands the speed and technique required in pro hockey. And with Boston's defense projecting to be the club's weakest area, Stuart will make a play for an NHL job out of camp for the first time.

"It will be a bonus to participate in camp, be given a shot, and be out there on the ice every day," said Stuart, who has been skating since early June at an Eden Prairie, Minn., rink along with his brothers, plus Washington defenseman Ben Clymer and several other players from the Minneapolis area. "I'm excited to be a part of it. It was really tough last year going through rehab and not being able to participate in camp.

"I'm just looking at it as an opportunity and something to work hard at. I'm looking at it as showing them that I belong in Boston. We'll see how it goes. I think I've prepared myself well enough to do my best and show them I belong there."

Because of his limited NHL experience, Stuart will kick off camp as something of a wild card on a blue-line corps that's filled with question marks. The Bruins have Zdeno Chara, who promises to rebound from a disappointing 2006-07, but the depth drops off after the captain.

Aaron Ward, 34, had a minus-8 rating in 20 games with the Bruins last season. Andrew Ference has traditionally been a second-pairing defenseman. By his own admission, Andrew Alberts suffered a dip in performance at the end of the year. Dennis Wideman showed hints of offensive creativity, but the 24-year-old has yet to develop into a dependable defenseman. Bobby Allen is a depth defenseman with 32 career NHL games.

In 2006-07, Stuart made the most of his NHL playing time, finishing with a team-best plus-7 rating. When he's on his game, Stuart plays a mean, rugged style and doesn't back down from the rough stuff. Off the ice, from Colorado College's Scott Owens to Providence's Scott Gordon, Stuart's coaches rave about his off-the-charts character and dressing-room demeanor.

"I wouldn't call it a surprise," Chiarelli said when asked if Stuart could become a valuable contributor. "He's got a pretty good pedigree. He was the captain of that world junior team. He's excelled in his role wherever he's been."

With his ankle feeling fine, Stuart has been working out with skating coach Barry Karn, formerly employed by Calgary and most recently hired by St. Louis. One criticism of Stuart was that at the NHL level, he'd be a tick slower than opposing forwards, allowing them to gain position in the danger zones.

Under Karn, Stuart has concentrated on his skating technique in tight areas, adding power to his stride and making his bursts more efficient.

Stuart plans to leave for Boston in the next few days, and will be part of an early wave of Bruins who'll kick off informal skates at Ristuccia Arena Aug. 27. Two weeks later, under the watch of new head coach Claude Julien, Stuart and the rest of the boys will begin their bids for roster spots.

"We've left spots open on defense and I don't want to exclude a fellow like Matt Lashoff," said Chiarelli. "But just based on Mark's progression and how he's developing, there is a very good opportunity for him."

Cashing in on Russian front

Stanislav Chistov's departure isn't official yet, according to Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli, but the winger is expected to sign soon with Salavat Yulayev Ufa of the Russian Super League, leaving Boston with one year remaining on his NHL deal.

While Chistov is bolting the NHL, another Russian-born winger is still waiting to see whether a North American deal will emerge for 2007-08: ex-Blackhawk forward Nikita Alexeev.

"Teams are sitting and waiting to see their own guys in their own systems earn jobs," said Kent Hughes, Alexeev's agent. "Everybody loves their team going into training camp. I'm confident that if he's willing to be patient, something will be there. Now, I can't tell if that will be October, November, or whenever. The problem is that you can make a lot of money in Russia."

The 25-year-old Alexeev, traded from Tampa Bay to Chicago on Feb. 27, was picked eighth overall in the 2000 draft.

But Alexeev could most likely find employment in Russia, where he might make more money than in the NHL. The Russian paychecks may be why UFA defenseman Danny Markov is still holding out for a bigger American payoff, knowing that he has the safeguard of a decent salary overseas.

"They can certainly go back there and make very good money," said Chiarelli. "We experienced that first-hand with [Sergei] Zinovjev. I'm sure it will continue until the money dries up, but I don't see the money drying up in the near future."

NHLers who head that way may find it challenging to come back west for two reasons: First, consider the case of Alexei Morozov. The forward, who played in Pittsburgh from 1997-2004, currently stars for Ak Bars Kazan (he had a league-high 83 points in 2006-07) alongside Zinovjev. Two agents believe Morozov is on a four-year deal that pays him as much as $18 million -- a steep price for an NHL club to pay.

Second, what happens to the NHL player who goes to Russia and struggles for whatever reason?

"If you go there and don't succeed, it's hard to come back," Hughes said. "If you've got 400 games under your belt, go to Russia, then come back, even then it depends on what type of player you are and how you fit."

Fernandez among goalies hoping to score with rebounds

Doctors from Minnesota and Boston have green-lighted the progress of Manny Fernandez on his left knee, which was originally injured Jan. 20 against Dallas.

Fernandez isn't the only NHL goalie coming off a knee injury. In 2006-07, four other netminders went down with bum knees that limited their end-of-season play, raising questions about how they'll rebound this season.

Columbus's Pascal Leclaire tore the meniscus in his left knee Dec. 10 and underwent surgery Dec. 28. Leclaire seemingly recovered, returning to the Blue Jackets lineup Feb. 11 against Chicago. But after aggravating the injury, the 24-year-old was placed on injured reserve Feb. 22 and didn't play another game the rest of the year.

Alex Auld, signed by Phoenix last week, tore cartilage in his left knee while playing for Florida last year. Auld, 26, was placed on IR Feb. 20, missed the last 22 games of the season, and had a fix-up job performed in March.

On Feb. 27, St. Louis's Manny Legace, 34, tore the meniscus in his right knee and went under the knife, cutting his season short.

Washington's Olaf Kolzig had the best luck. On Feb. 12, the 37-year-old partially tore the MCL in his left knee. But Kolzig didn't need surgery, and after sitting out a month, he returned against the Bruins March 15 and played eight more games in 2006-07.

The positives for Bruins fans: First, Fernandez has repeatedly stated that his knee feels fine. Second, knee injuries aren't considered career-threatening for goalies. Third, fellows named Miikka Kiprusoff (2003) and Martin Brodeur (2005) were shelved with sprained MCLs and have obviously suffered no ill effects to their careers.

"I'm not concerned about it," said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. "He's been cleared. He's training. He feels fine."

Etc.

No. 8's next comeback
All signs point toward Hall of Famer Cam Neely returning to full-time employment with the Bruins, most likely in hockey operations. Neely, who made the dressing-room rounds at the team's development camp last month, also took to the podium in Columbus during the 2007 draft to announce Boston's No. 1 pick of Zach Hamill. "He's expressed some interest in helping out on the hockey ops side," said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli, who plans to chat with Neely this week. "We've talked throughout this past year. He wants to test it out. I don't want to put words in his mouth, but he feels that he wants to be a part of it. Certainly I would welcome it."

Hips don't lie
According to local goaltending instructor Brian Daccord, the biggest injury worries for netminders these days are their hips, particularly with torn labrums. Among some of the tragically hip: the Islanders' Rick DiPietro, Philadelphia's Antero Niittymaki, former Flyer Robert Esche, ex-Penguin Jocelyn Thibault, and current Pittsburgh property John Curry, formerly of Boston University. "Everybody thinks about the knees," said Daccord, co-founder of Tewksbury-based Superskills Hockey. "But it's the hips. All the movement -- the butterfly slides and pushes -- is taking a big toll on hips. I'm really worried down the road about how many goalies I train end up with artificial hips. There's all this wear and tear from all the training and the movement down low. It's the way [the position] has to be played. That's where flexibility and core stability become extremely important."

Shrunken ice
New Jersey forward Jay Pandolfo and ex-Devil Scott Gomez will appear Tuesday for a skate-and-autograph session at North Andover's Micro Ice Training Center, a recently opened 41-by-50 ice sheet that promises to be the first of a number of similar-sized rinks. Micro Ice, partially funded by Pandolfo and Gomez, is targeted for players looking to develop their speed, skill, positioning, and decision-making in tight, high-traffic areas. Instructors at the facility include Dynamic Skating's Paul Vincent and John McLean, BU strength and conditioning coach Mike Boyle, Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna, BU goalie coach Mike Geragosian, and skating coach Erika Hammar. For more information, visit microicecenters.com.

Stick salute to NHL giant Sam Pollock, the former Montreal GM who died Wednesday after a long fight with cancer. Pollock, 81, assembled the Montreal dynasty that won nine Stanley Cups in the 1960s and 1970s. Pollock plucked Ken Dryden from the Bruins, traded to obtain the No. 1 pick that became Guy Lafleur, and drafted Larry Robinson -- all part of a wide-ranging sweep of moves that helped the Canadiens transition seamlessly from the Original Six days of Henri Richard and Jean Beliveau into the modern era. An example of Pollock's forward thinking: He signed Dryden to a four-year contract, but allowed the brainy goalie, who was pondering a career move into law, to retire before the deal's conclusion as long as the GM was given a year's notice.

Kent Hughes, who represents Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, on the knee problems Bergeron experienced last season: "He's a lot better. He's excited to ramp it up. He's really hopeful for a fresh start." Two sources familiar with the talks confirmed that Montreal GM Bob Gainey inquired about Bergeron's availability approximately a month before the 2007 trade deadline. But the sides didn't even discuss names before Chiarelli told Gainey he wasn't interested.

Veteran center Mike Ricci, most recently a Coyote, hung up the skates last week. Ricci appeared in 1,099 games, collecting 243 goals and 362 assists. He will be remembered as a player who was constantly jabbed by opponents for his, let's say, unconventional hairstyle. Ricci went with the trimmed look in Phoenix, but his free-flowing mullet heydays were in San Jose and Colorado . . . Jason York, a former Senator who lives in Ottawa during the summer, could return to Canada's capital. According to the Ottawa Sun, GM Bryan Murray is open to the idea of signing the UFA defenseman . . . Natick author Jack Falla chronicled all things pertaining to backyard rinks in 2001's "Home Ice," a collection of nonfiction essays revolving around the sheet of ice he constructed behind his home. Falla, who covered the NHL for Sports Illustrated, recently completed "Saved," a hockey novel, which will be released in January and is available for preorder at amazon.com . . . Should be an interesting battle in Phoenix, where two former Northeast Division goalies (Mikael Tellqvist and David Aebischer) will fight for the job along with David LeNeveu and Alex Auld, the former Panther. The Coyotes had their toes in the water for a No. 1 goalie during the offseason, but are apparently going with quantity over quality . . . Bruin Mark Stuart on center David Krejci, who should be in the mix for a big-league job: "Extremely talented. He's one of those guys who can put the puck in the net. You always need guys like that. He proved himself last year in Providence with a great season. I kept tabs on the [development] camp this summer. It sounded like him and a few other guys stuck out." . . . Perhaps Bobby Allen could give the Red Sox some middle-of-the-lineup pop. According to Jay Fee, Allen's agent, the defenseman took some batting practice swings at Fenway Park recently and sent a few balls deep.

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.