An optional skate here at Kettler Iceplex with 13 Caps players participating. Mike Green (head injury) was again on the ice as was Tom Poti (groin). Green dipped out of the dressing room before we were allowed in so we’ll have to catch him in the morning. Nothing imminent on that front anyway until he completes a hard practice.
Same thing for Nicklas Backstrom. He fell on his left hand and missed the final 24 minutes of the Tampa Bay win on Monday night. He and goalie Michal Neuvirth – who sat the final two periods with pieces of metal in his eye after taking a puck off the mask – were getting treatment today and will be re-evaluated. Neither took the ice. Bruce Boudreau didn’t have anything to say on Jason Arnott, who missed time late in the first period and early in the second period, but returned to finish the game. Eric Fehr appears ready to play. He was going shoulder-to-shoulder with D.J. King during the skate and appeared fine afterwards.
Fehr is obviously close, but there are salary-cap issues that could delay his return in the short-term. Boudreau would not commit to using him against Edmonton anymore than playing King or Tyler Sloan. It could happen. Or it might not. Goalie Semyon Varlamov – out 7-to-10 days with a lower-body injury – did not skate, either, on Tuesday.
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