Updates on Some Injured Players

The word on the net is that David Booth is traveling with the Panthers on their next road trip and could figure back into the line-up sometime around Christmas, more likely after the break. Booth has been out for some time now with a concussion. Booth remains a part of Stuart's Draft team.

A pair of Canadiens are inching closer to a return. Brian Gionta and Andrei Markov are skating with the team at the moment and are awaiting clearance from doctors to return. There is no timetable, exactly, for their return, but their return to practice and the ice does give some hope to the poolies that are holding onto the two Habs. Gionta is out with a broken foot and Markov is out with a tendon injury.

It doesn't look very good for Paul Martin at the moment. Martin has been out of the Devils line-up with a broken arm, but has had a setback for his return to the ice to start skating. The word is Martin is still a week away from returning to the ice, despite having his cast off already. Martin isn't going to be expected back into the line-up until the New Year.

After the Leafs were shelled by the Coyotes on Wednesday night, it appears that the return of Jonas Gustavsson cannot come too soon. Gustavsson should return to the Leafs crease on Friday, after his second heart ablation surgery, which he had a couple weeks ago. I believe Gustavsson will get the start or starts this weekend, trying to sort out that position for the Leafs.