"It's nice to be skating with the guys. There's still some steps and some conversations that I have to have before I'm fully playing. Will probably know that by [Thursday] morning when I'm going to play or if it's [against the Maple Leafs] or whatever," said Hall, who has registered 16 goals and 36 points in 58 games this season.
"Just taking it step by step and the process with the organization and the medical staff and just everyone. Like I said, there's just more conversations that I have to have. But it feels great to be out with the guys and to practice with them and to be in the meetings and everything.
"When they're on the road, it's pretty lonely around here. And it's fun to be back around the atmosphere."
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery echoed Hall's statements, saying the 31-year-old is "doubtful…but not completely ruled out" to play when the Black & Gold host Toronto on Thursday night at TD Garden.
"I don't know about [Thursday], to be honest. I'm not going to say for sure he's not. But it's leaning that way," said Montgomery. "But he's starting to check all the boxes. We were starting to get him in the game rhythm again through practice. We're gonna be able to practice today and Friday.
"But he's getting closer. I assume we'd like to get him in before the end of [the regular season]. I think that would be ideal. Get him up and running."
Hall, who shed the maroon non-contact jersey he'd been wearing of late in favor of a gold practice sweater, rode the left side on a line with Charlie Coyle and Tyler Bertuzzi during Thursday's skate.
"We're very lucky with the depth we have and we're also very lucky that it looks like Hall's going to be a real option for us," said Montgomery. "And we're also hoping that [Nick] Foligno and [Derek] Forbort are going to be, so then all of our - knock on wood - all of our options will be at our disposal come playoff time."
Hall called Bertuzzi "a really good addition to our team" and is looking forward to having the opportunity to play alongside his fellow winger at some point in the near future.
"He sees the ice really well. I didn't know quite know what type of player he was before he got here," said Hall. "But he makes plays, he keeps plays alive all over the ice. And if that's who I'm playing with whenever I'm back, that's a really good guy to inject on that line."
Having been sidelined for some six weeks, Hall missed the gauntlet of Boston's March schedule, which included 15 games in 29 days. As such, he is feeling rejuvenated both physically and mentally as he prepares to return for what he hopes is a lengthy postseason run.
"I feel good," he said. "Try to use the off time while everyone else is playing to rest up and to get my mind as good as possible going into hopefully a long playoff run. I feel rested. I feel like I have some gas that some guys around the league might not just having this break. So that's been something that I've tried to use, utilize the best I can."
