Morning Player Notes in the Draft (Feb 2)

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez didn't come out for the 3rd period against the Nashville Predators last night and the team is citing a lower-body injury, as the reason for his departure from the game.  The reports about the injury were somewhat baffled, as no one could spot any particular spot where he was hurt, so we'll have to take the team on its word for the time being.  He'll be listed day-to-day, until otherwise noted.

The Vancouver Canucks lost the services of forward Sam Gagner against the Chicago Blackhawks, leaving the game with an upper-body injury, not to return.  There wasn't much in the way of updates in the post game, so we'll have to wait until later on Friday or early on Saturday, ahead of the Canucks' next game against the Lightning.  Gagner will be considered day-to-day as well, if the updates don't signal anything significant.

That's two injuries for Scott's team in one night, just as his team was starting to make some noise at the bottom of the standings.  Scott's team has been gaining on Stacey C. and Eric's team for the last couple of weeks, but these injuries will certainly slow him down a bit.

A collision with Toronto's Jake Gardiner forced Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich from Thursday night's contest in the 2nd period, the official word from the team is an upper-body injury, but there wasn't anything more to report.  The Rangers are in Nashville on Saturday night and I would imagine that we would hear more about the injury to the scoring forward before then.

Buchnevich has been one of the few bright spots on Stacey C.'s team this season, scoring as his 2nd-best forward this year with 32 points in 50 games.  Unfortunately, Stacey's team has been sinking like a stone in the standings, thanks to injuries, something that this news byte won't help with.

Tampa Bay defenseman Dan Girardi was a late scratch on Thursday night, ahead of the Lightning playing in Calgary and the team is saying that a lower-body injury is the reason for the scratch.  Girardi is considered to be day-to-day at the moment, but that's about all that we know at the moment.

Neil added Girardi this week in the Waiver Draft and this injury, ahead of the players going live, means that he could swap him out for someone healthy, if he so chose, in the bonus round, which may or may not even happen, at the rate that the second round has been going.