Sheet Player News (Dec. 7)

It was a return to the press box for Box 13 defenseman Kurtis Foster, who still hasn't received the confidence of the Ducks coaching staff since being signed in the off-season, but some early season injuries haven't helped his cause either.  Foster has also been demoted from the draft news to the sheet news, after he was dropped during the waiver draft last week and rightly so.  He has not been very productive and a healthy scratch often.  If there is any more news on him, I would look in the sheet news first.

The Calgary Flames updated the status of their back-up goalie, Henrik Karlsson, who will now be out 6-to-8 weeks with an MCL tear, which now opens the door for young goalie Leland Irving, who will now act as the back-up for Miikka Kiprusoff.  Karlsson was hurt in the game against the Canucks on Sunday night, leaving the game in the 3rd period, but now he won't likely be back in the line-up until late January or early February.

A lower-body injury forced Hurricanes' back-up goalie Brian Boucher out of dressing for the team on Tuesday night against the Flames.  It turned out that the Hurricanes went to their called-up replacement, Mike Murphy, in the 7-6 loss, but it wasn't Murphy's fault that the team had received the loss, it was just worth the mention.  Boucher is just considered to be out day-to-day, but I think there is enough confidence in Murphy to make sure that Boucher gets to be 100% again from his injury.  Also, as a healthy scratch, Andreas Nodl did not dress for the Hurricanes, as it looks like he hasn't done enough to impress his new team this season, much like the Flyers, who put him on waivers earlier in the year.

The St. Louis Blues welcomed Carlo Colaiacovo back to their line-up on Tuesday night against the Red Wings, which forced Box 14 defenseman Ian Cole out of the line-up, as a healthy scratch.  Cole only has 2 assists in 10 games for the Blues this year, which isn't great production, after a stint in the minors to start the year.  I'm not confident that the Blues will keep Cole around, if he's going to be a healthy scratch down the stretch.