Tuesday, October 14, 2014

More Player Notes in the Draft (Oct 14)

It sounds like Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello should be back in the line-up tonight, as the Battle of New York takes centre stage on Tuesday night. Zuccarello missed one game with an apparent shoulder issue, before returning to a full practice on Tuesday, getting set for a big game in the Metropolitan Division.

Wyllie was tied for the pool lead after Week One, but didn't pick up any points on Monday night, dropping down to 4th place, 2 points back of three leaders.  In the first two games of the season, Zuccarello has failed to yield a point, only one of three active players on his roster with donuts in the point column.

The night after Ben Bishop picked up a huge win for the Bolts against the Canadiens, it is time for Evgeni Nabokov to make his season debut for Tampa, taking the crease for a game against the Devils.  Nabokov was brought in to give a little bit more of a veteran presence on the bench for the Lightning.

You would think this is a big plus for Grant K., who has gone 2-for-2 in the win department so far this season, but it appears that his second goalie will go up against his first goalie, Cory Schneider, in the game tonight.

The Dallas Stars are in Columbus for a game against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night, but they are without forward Valeri Nichushkin, who is back home getting a groin/hip injury checked out with the team's medical staff.  Until further notice, I will have Nichushkin on the list as being out day-to-day with the injury, I'm sure the Stars will have something a little bit more substantial before too long.

Scott was having a rough few days to start the season, but since the weekend, his team has been slowly making it up to him.  Scott sits in 15th after Monday, only 9 points out of 1st place and carrying enough games to make an impact this week.  The loss of Nichushkin may not be devastating right away, but it's something to watch.

It has been a bit of a crazy morning in Oilers camp, as they prepare to take on the Kings tonight in Los Angeles.  There was a little bit of will he/won't he through the pregame skate, but afterwards the coaching staff has confirmed that both Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle will not participate in tonight's game.  Nugent-Hopkins is still reeling from his first NHL fight in the game against the Canucks, while Eberle's injury is not disclosed as of yet.

What was thought to be a minor blow to Mike's evening, has turned out to be a little bit bigger.  Our 17th placed team in the pool has both Oilers, as he loaded up at the draft this year, and that is going to cost him tonight.  There is no word on the severity of the injuries yet, Mike will be hoping for a one game absence, for sure.

The preseason injury to Marian Gaborik appears to have re-surfaced early on this season, as what was said to be a "body" injury will keep the Slovak out of the line-up tonight and quite possibly longer.  The injury prone forward's status was not updated properly, which is par for the course in Los Angeles, so we'll all have to play wait-and-see.

Gaborik has 1 assist in three games for Stacey M. this season, as Stacey sits in the thick of the mix in 6th place, 5 points out of 1st place.  She took Gaborik in the 5th round, so there is a ton of expectation that he is going to have a big year with the Kings, but he won't, if he continues to be on the injured list.

An updated list of injuries can be found here.

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