Golden Knights’ Nate Schmidt appears ready to return from injury

Nate Schmidt was “super awesome” Wednesday after a tough month.

The Golden Knights defenseman was hurt five shifts into the season after a knee-on-knee collision with San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture on Oct. 2. Schmidt said he thought the injury might be serious and that he had “next season type of thoughts.”

So he was ecstatic when he rejoined the Knights for practice Monday and Wednesday. He appears ready to join his teammates for Thursday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens at T-Mobile Arena, but neither he nor coach Gerard Gallant would say so.

“We’ll see,” Schmidt said. “(I’m) getting better every day.”

One thing is certain: Schmidt is excited to be nearing a return after missing several early-season games for the second consecutive year. He was suspended for the first 20 games of last season for violating the terms of the NHL/NHL Players Association Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

He said this absence was more difficult. Last season, he was practicing with the Vienna Capitals in Austria and would check scores when he woke up. The Knights went 8-11-1 while he was suspended.

This season, he’s been with the team through its early bouts of inconsistency and seen firsthand plays in which he could have made an impact. The Knights’ 8-5 record mostly without him is better than last year’s, but Schmidt is still excited to see what he can add.

He practiced with the second power-play unit Wednesday, a sign he could be ready to play. But Gallant said Schmidt, right wing Alex Tuch and backup goaltender Malcolm Subban still need to be medically cleared as of Wednesday afternoon.

“I thought I had a great summer. I thought I had a good camp. I was excited for the year,” Schmidt said. “Freaking (three) minutes into my ice time in the first period (I get hurt). I guess that’s someone’s way of saying maybe I wasn’t ready. It’s been hard, but at the same time I’m just really excited. I’m excited to be back.”

Costume contest

A few of the best costumes at the Knights’ annual Halloween party, according to the players, were Marc-Andre and Veronique Fleury’s (Cousin Itt and Wednesday Addams from “The Addams Family”), William Karlsson and his girlfriend Emily’s (The Joker and Harley Quinn), and Nick and Angela Holden as a Walmart and Costco employee, respectively.

Fleury said his wife came up with the idea for their costume a few days before the party.

“Most of the time, she handles everything,” Fleury said. “She puts the work into it.”

Odds and ends

— Defenseman Deryk Engelland practiced fully Wednesday after missing the third period of Sunday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks and Monday’s skate with a lower-body injury.

— Defenseman Shea Theodore was given a maintenance day and didn’t practice Wednesday.

— A few fans purchased tickets for $7.30 for Thursday’s game via the website Flash Seats because of a pricing mistake. The team confirmed that the tickets will be honored.

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Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.