Predators' Pekka Rinne: 'The hip feels great'

Nashville Predators netminder Pekka Rinne is well on the mend after having a pair of hip surgeries derail his rise in 2013.

"The hip feels great. I had a good summer. I worked hard and stayed healthy. I'm just really excited for this upcoming season. I feel like I'm ready to go," he told The Tennessean via NHL.com.

"I still have to pay attention to it, but I don't have to change anything. I don't have to skip any training because of that. It feels normal. I feel like I have the strength back in my legs this summer. It feels great and it's nice not to think about it all the time."

Rinne returned to the Predators in March to play 15 games down the stretch last season but didn't truly rediscover his Vezina-finalist form until backstopping Finland at the World Championships in May.  

He posted three shutouts in nine games, finishing with a 1.88 goals against average and .982 save percentage.