While Tuukka Rask opted out of the NHL playoffs on Saturday, Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said Sunday the possibility exists that the goaltender could still return to the team at some point.

"I guess," Cassidy said when asked if he could envision Rask returning eventually, per WEEI. "Tuukka would best be able to answer that. We exchanged texts today, left him a message. He's doing well, his family's doing well, so that's very encouraging for everyone in the Bruins organization. As we said before, we support Tuukka. We wish him well. We want nothing but the best for him and his family.

"Should circumstances change there where he feels he can come back to the club, then I think we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, see what it involves. Obviously, as you said, the NHL is okay with it. That's how we'd handle that. I wasn't involved in the conversation when he spoke to [general manager Don Sweeney], so that's probably another question for Donnie as well, if they even bridged that."

Rask would be forced to quarantine upon his return to the hub city, should he choose to do so.

The Bruins announced the 33-year-old's decision to opt out just hours before their Game 3 matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes. Jaroslav Halak turned aside 29 of the 30 shots he faced to record his first playoff victory since 2015.

Rask, who had a 26-8-6 record during the regular season, was 1-3 since the league restarted play with a .904 save percentage and a 2.57 goals-against average. He said last week he was struggling to adjust to the atmosphere without fans.

"To be honest with you, it doesn’t really feel like playoff hockey out there. There are no fans, so it’s kind of like playing an exhibition game," Rask said. "It’s definitely not a playoff atmosphere out there. You try and play as hard as you can. When you’re playing at a home rink and an away rink and the fans are cheering for and against you, it really creates a buzz for the series.

"There’s none of that. So, it just feels like dull at times. There are moments when there are scrums and whatnot, and then there will be five minutes when it’s coast-to-coast hockey. There’s no atmosphere. So, it feels like an exhibition game," Rask said.

The Bruins, who lead the Hurricanes 2-1 in their best-of-seven series, will be back on the ice Monday for Game 4.