Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli appeared on Hockey Night in Canada Radio on Monday, and suggested that defenseman Dennis Seidenberg - assumed to be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury - may be ready to return for the playoffs.

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said on @hnicradio "There's a chance" Dennis Seidenberg could be back in playoffs. He is "ahead of schdeule" (1/2) — Rob Pizzo (@robpizzo) March 24, 2014

Chiarelli added he is not counting on it, but it is a possibility.

Seidenberg appeared in 18 playoff games for the Bruins during their run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2013, registering one assist while averaging almost 26 minutes of ice time, second only to Zdeno Chara.

The Bruins are in the midst of a 12-game winning streak and have been relying on a slew of young defensemen in his absence. While they have been largely successful without him, a veteran presence is a valuable commodity come playoff time.

Having said that, Seidenberg remains under contract for four more seasons (per Capgeek), and he and the team may be better served in the long run by resting the knee over the summer and coming back fresh and healed for training camp.