Given what Michael Grabner has gone through over the past few months, "chipper" wouldn’t be the first word that comes to mind when talking about someone recovering from a nasty eye injury.

However, that is precisely how center Brad Richardson described his linemate and penalty-kill partner after a high stick from St. Louis Blues forward Sammy Blais sidelined him for three months.

“He was honestly super positive the whole time,” Richardson said of Grabner. “Obviously, the first few weeks were tough because he was in lots of pain and all that, but he definitely kept it real positive.”

Richardson saw how happy Grabner was to be around the guys when he would be at the rink during practices. Even with his positive attitude, Grabner still itched to get back on the ice with them. That became a road to recovery unlike the ones his injured teammates had.

The first month was an abrupt change of pace for Grabner, someone known to be active on and off the ice. The severity of the injury caused him to spend the first week relying on his wife to take care of him while vision slowly returned to his right eye.

Spending more time at home became his every day. Aside from trips to the rink for rehab skates, Grabner focused time watching the other hockey player in the family: his son, Aidan. His schedule usually does not give him the opportunity for that bonding experience, and that helped him through those long three months.

While Grabner said seeing his two children more was great for him, he missed playing with his teammates. Especially because his daughter, Olivia, was too young to understand why he was not currently playing with the team and questioned why he was home so often.

“You kind of feel like you’re not very a part of the team because you come in early, skate, workout and then be gone for the time the guys usually are here,” Grabner said.

The seemingly unending laundry list of injuries to the Coyotes midway through the season created a new team for Grabner away from the NHL limelight. He skated alongside Richardson, defenseman Jason Demers and center Christian Dvorak during their respective rehab processes.

Instead of watching the Coyotes between shifts, Grabner was relegated to watching them at home or in the press box.

"I watched a lot of hockey over the three months and after awhile you get a little sick of it," Grabner said. "So it’s just nice to be back out there now."

For the usually upbeat forward, he saw the games as an opportunity to improve. The fresh perspective added something new to his game.

“It makes it a little easier when you come back,” Grabner said. “Just to pick up on certain things you may not see when you’re playing.”

The uncertainty of Grabner's injury also caused a different problem that the others did not face. Eye injuries are unlike bone injuries that have a typical timetable for return. Grabner knew the process could go any way for him and did not want to be rushed back on the ice. Vision isn't something taken lightly, especially in hockey where good vision keeps players safe.

When he was near to returning, he told head coach Rick Tocchet that he did not want to be a “liability” to the team. His vision was mostly intact, but his right pupil remained dilated. The team had won four of their previous five home games and was trying to cling to the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

“Well, just worry about practice,” Tocchet said when asked about his message to Grabner. “One practice at a time, we’ll talk about it as it goes.”

Still teetering between playing in their homestand and staying out of their playoff race, Grabner texted the team's head trainer his decision to play his first game back in three months. He realized that his teammates needed him on the ice instead of in the background.

In his return against the Flames on March 7, Grabner logged 17:40 of ice time, registered five shots and held little hesitation with a season-high three hits.

“Twenty-four hours later, he not so much changed his mind, I think he just knew, ‘Hey, I got to try it,’" Tocchet said. "And I give him a lot of respect for that.”

Pushing the "liability" talk aside, Grabner's presence has helped the Coyotes even more in their final stretch of the season.

Since returning from his injury, the left winger notched a multi-goal game against the Kings on March 9, and clicked with Richardson and right wing Vinnie Hinostroza to create a speedy, effective line for Tocchet.

Grabner has not lost his touch on the penalty kill and leads the Coyotes in short-handed goals and points. In fact, Grabner scored a short-handed goal during the first period against the Florida Panthers on Thursday, which helped deliver the Coyotes a new franchise record of 16 short-handed goals.

Despite missing 41 games this season, Grabner still leads the NHL with six short-handed goals.

"He’s a huge addition, and then he’s still not 100 percent (with his vision). But he’s playing through it, he’s doing really well," Richardson said.

Up next

Coyotes at Devils, Saturday, 10 a.m., Prudential Center, Newark, N.J., FSAZ/KTAR-AM (620) — The Coyotes (36-32-6) look to snap a three-game losing skid (0-2-1) when they visit the New Jersey Devils (27-39-9) for the first game of a back-to-back set on the road.