Player Notes in the Draft (Mar 18)

Reports this morning out of Detroit is say that the Red Wings will be without their best player, Pavel Datsyuk, for at least the next couple of games, Thursday in Florida and Friday in Tampa Bay, due to a lower-body injury.  There is a possibility that he could return for Sunday's return home, where they will face the Blues in a former Central Division match-up.  A Sunday return was, by no means, confirmed, just hinted at.

Bad news for Benson, who is hunting for a top 10 spot, now sitting in 11th after Tuesday night's action.  He is also ranked 3rd in the third segment standings, 12 points behind Brian for the honour.  Losing Datsyuk for a couple games will likely put a dent in both hopes, even if it is for only a couple of games.

The Boston Bruins decided to give their number one goalie, Tuukka Rask, a complete night off, not having him suit up as the backup for Niklas Svedberg, against the Buffalo Sabres, due to some general soreness.  It sounds like it was a scheduled game for Svedberg, as Rask has been carrying the load for the Bruins this season, but it was strange that it didn't come as the second half of back-to-back nights.  Nevertheless, it was a night off for Rask, and I would expect him back for Thursday's game, away in Ottawa.

It hasn't been a great start to the week for our reigning Mover & Shaker, Dale B., as he has failed to register a point in two nights.  His team has slipped from 5th to 6th and is 2 points out from his former position.  Still lots of time left in the week to recover, it's just that the night off didn't help his cause any.

The goaltending situation in Minnesota hasn't changed any.  Devan Dubnyk continues to rack up the starts and rack up the wins for the Wild, while Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom cycle in and out of the lineup as his back-up.  On Tuesday night, it was Kuemper's turn to be the healthy scratch, so he was and I would imagine he will be wearing the ball cap on Thursday night, when the Wild host the Capitals.

Stacey M., who is right in the thick of the battle for a top 10 spot in the final weeks, is likely getting frustrated with the lack of action from her second goalie.  It is certainly putting a damper on her team's chances on making the top 10, although it is putting up a good fight in the early part of Week Twenty-Four.  Her team is currently in the mix for this week's Mover & Shaker, 1 point back of Grant S. for the early lead.

In some good news, the Columbus Blue Jackets have welcomed forward Boone Jenner back to full practice this week, as he has been rehabbing from a stress fracture in his back.  The coaching staff doesn't anticipate that Jenner or his injured teammate, non-pool forward, Jeremy Morin, to return to the lineup before the end of the current road trip that they are on, but they are inching closer to a return.

It isn't necessarily a return notice, so it isn't really even 'too little, too late' for Tony in the pool with this news, but he will get a body back before the end of the regular season, which is something, I guess.