Photo credit: Jonathan Kozub

Here we go a again: after missing a month with a groin injury before returning Monday night, Brooks Laich is once again out.

“It’s disappointing because George and I met with him that morning and he said he felt 100 percent; contact, conditioning, everything,” head coach Adam Oates told reporters after the morning skate. “I think in his mind he did feel that way.”

“It’s been a long time of almosts,” Oates added.

Laich’s saga has been ongoing since he first injured his groin playing in Switzerland during last year’s lockout. He played in just nine games last season, with his return to the lineup constantly pushed back. It was reported that he had surgery to repair the issue, something Laich insisted wasn’t true. Nevertheless, the problem came back this year. Brooks claimed the injuries were similar, but not the same. But once again, a day-to-day aliment turned into uncertain timeframe. After playing 13:23 against Anaheim, Laich is back on the injured list.

“I’m kind of in a holding pattern,” the 30-year-old Laich said. “That’s really as much as I can divulge right now.”

Laich said he “felt great” during his return from an 11-game absence Monday, but started to experience pain again Tuesday morning.

According to Oates, Laich is set to see a doctor later today. He will try to practice tomorrow, but as of now the head coach has little idea when Laich will be back in the lineup.

“I think it’s going to be an ongoing thing,” said Oates. “We’re going to monitor it all the time until it either gets away totally, gets out of his head totally. We just don’t want to set him back.”

As for now, “something doesn’t feel quite right.”