John Carlson's return is apparently imminent.

The Washington Capitals defenseman declared himself "pretty darn close" to making a return to the lineup, according to Mark Giannotto of The Washington Post.

Carlson took part in the morning skate Friday for the first time since having a procedure to repair a nagging injury on Feb. 27. He's eligible to be activated off long-term injured reserve for Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Head coach Barry Trotz said there's no timetable for Carlson's return, and Trotz is still deciding whether to bring the blue-liner on Washington's upcoming three-game road trip.

Carlson suffered what the team called a lower-body injury in December, then returned about a month later for 13 games before missing the last nine following the undisclosed procedure.

"I felt better when I got on the ice than the last time, so that's obviously a huge positive," he said Friday.

"There were some trying times where it seems like you're never going to skate again and then as soon as you get on the ice, you get that excitement back. … It's exciting to feel good on the ice again and get ready for the rest of the year."

The 26-year-old has 31 points in 47 games and ranks second on the Capitals behind Matt Niskanen in average time-on-ice at 24:09.

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