Player Notes in the Draft (Dec 10)

Looks like Eric Gelinas of the Devils found his way back up to the press box on Tuesday night as a healthy scratch, as he wasn't penciled in to play against the Blackhawks.  Gelinas has picked up 9 points in 23 games this season, but this is also around his 6th scratch of the season, which may have to do more with his defensive game, than anything else.

Wilton has been fairly fortunate with the health of his team, but Gelinas has been a scratch from time to time.  At the Waiver Draft, Wilton had bigger problems to deal with than a semi-scratched defender, so he'll be hanging around for a while longer.

An undisclosed upper-body injury kept Jaroslav Halak from a scheduled start on Tuesday night, as the Islanders took on the Wild.  There has been no word, as to the severity of the injury, but it did offer Chad Johnson a start, but unfortunately for the Islanders, they blew a 3-goal lead in the 3rd period, allowing the Wild to score four in the final frame to drop a 5-4 decision.

You may be able to argue whether or not the Islanders would have given up that lead with Halak in net, but at the end of the day, neither goalie picked up a win and that's the end of that.  Tony did end up losing a scheduled start with Halak being on the shelf for the evening and he now awaits word on how much more time he'll miss.

The start of a new segment in the hockey pool did not help Jonathan Drouin, who found his way back to the press box again for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who by my count, has now been scratched eight times this season.  Now the question lingers, do the Lightning feel that Drouin can develop more as a regular healthy scratch or will he be allowed to join Team Canada for the World Juniors around Boxing Day to New Year's.

Dale C. has had mediocre success with Drouin playing for the Bolts, picking up 11 points in 20 games, but there just isn't something right with the chemistry, it would seem, between the top prospect and his NHL club.  This will definitely fuel speculation going forward.

An updated list of injuries can be found here.