Patrick Eaves progress toward playing in his first NHL game since Oct. 13, 2017

Anaheim Ducks forward Patrick Eaves is progressing toward playing in his first NHL game in nearly a year, practising for the second straight day Tuesday.

Eaves hasn't played since Oct. 13, 2017. He played in only two games last season before he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder with no known cause that led to his hospitalization last October.

Guillain-Barre syndrome strikes rarely, but when it does, the body's immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system.

"I'm getting better," Eaves told reporters Tuesday. "It's been a blast to get out with the guys. There's light at the end of the tunnel, you can see it."

In addition to his fight with Guillain-Barre, Eaves had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder in March. As a result, the Ducks are taking it slowly with the 34-year-old, and a target date for his return has yet to be announced.

"We all chat, we're all on the same page, so it's been easy in that sense," Eaves said. "Some days, they have to put a governor on me just because I'm so excited. Like, (Tuesday), they kind of got me off the ice. That was probably good because I would have gotten antsy and shot a bunch of pucks. ...

"It's hard to be patient now. I know my limitations and I have to respect the process."

Eaves has scored 242 points (132 goals, 110 assists) in 626 games in a career that has seen him play for the Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars before arriving in Anaheim for 20 games in the 2016-17 season.