I was about to write an insightful, information packed and somewhat pithy column about the winter residents of The Honda Center. As I was putting things together, I had to take out a pen and paper to sort out the roster. I can't be the only one who has difficulty keeping track of who is where. This is a good time for an update.
Who is Out
Corey Perry It was announced today that right wing Corey Perry will miss three to four weeks with a sprained left knee. Perry doesn't think its very serious. The day after he hurt it, Perry told the media, “It’s a little stiff, but it’ll heal,… he said. “I’ve done it to the other leg, so I’ve been through it. It’s just going to take a little bit of time.…
Francois Beauchemin Humpus Lindholm's defense partner broke a finger on November 26. Poor guy had only been in the lineup for a week since his bout with the mumps. Beauchemin should return to the Ducks shortly after the new year.
Eric Brewer To shore up their depth on defense, Ducks General Manager Bob Murray acquired Brewer from Tampa for a draft pick. He made his debut on November 20th and made it all the way to December 3rd, before he succumbed to injury. A broken foot will keep Brewer out until mid January.
Jason LaBarbera LaBarbera has a broken bone in his hand. The injury happened during a relief appearance on November 30. His original prognosis was two to three weeks, which should be in a week or so. It is unlikely that he stays with the Ducks after his return.
Emerson Etem When Perry went down, Etem would have been a logical choice to fill in. That isn't a viable option at this time. Shortly after Etem's demotion to Norfolk at the end of last month, he developed the mumps. There is no timetable for his return.
Mat Clark Clark was sent to Norfolk on Saturday.
Who is Close
Ben Lovejoy On October 26, the defenseman broke his hand in a vicious beat down of Joe Pavelski's helmet. He practiced yesterday and was happy with his efforts. He told Ducks.com, “I feel great. I’ve been skating a lot the last four weeks. I feel like I’m in very good shape, but obviously nothing is the same as a game. My finger feels good and I’ve been shooting for a while.… His imminent return will be a huge boost to the injury riddled defense corps.
Dany Heatley Heater's tenure as a Duck has been underwhelming. He started the season on injured reserve, came back for a few forgettable games and returned to the IR. Yesterday Heatley returned to practice and admitted he wasn't at full strength when he came back the first time. If he can be close to the Dany Heatley of old, it will minimize the impact of Perry's loss.
Jon Gibson The good news is Gibson returned to practice today for the first time since he suffered a groin injury on November 2nd. Unfortunately for him it will be a brief stop before heading to Norfolk to get game experience. He became expendable because...
Who is In
Ilya Bryzgalov The “Charismatic Enigma… was signed to a one year contract earlier today. His career has come full circle returning to the team where he started his career. Bryz is expected to back up Frederik Andersen for the rest of the season.
Colby Robak He is in for the short term at least. Robak was acquired for Jesse Blacker and an undisclosed draft choice last week. In his debut on Sunday, Robak played over 17 minutes, and held his own. He or Mark Fistric will be the seventh defenseman when Lovejoy returns.
Rickard Rakell Rakell was brought back up on Sunday to back fill Devante Smith-Pelly's slot as the third line center, when the latter was promoted to top line right wing.
Chris Wagner Wagner temporarily occupies the 13th forward spot. Its a good job if you can get it. He gets paid well; he can practice with the team and he gets great seats for Ducks games.
That is thirteen players I just gave updates on. Its probably a good reason why it sometimes seems if the Ducks roster is held together with baling wire, spit and bubble gum. Keep in mind that despite all the adversity, this team still has more points than anyone else in the league right now.
- Ed