The IIHF has finally cleared Kirill Kabanov to play for Moncton this season.

The Canucks are closely monitoring Daniel Sedin, who sat out practice with what the team is calling a deep bone bruise on one of his heels. There currently is too much swelling to conduct an MRI. Worst case is a break (4-6 weeks). Obviously would have big fantasy ramifications on all Canuck players.

Thanks to Jake in the comments section – Fehr will forego the conditioning stint and is expected suit up in the next Washington game. Don’t expect a ton from Fehr right away, but he should see 10-15 minutes on the third or fourth line as he is slowly brought back in.

Barrett Jackman is listed as week-to-week with a sprained ankle. This opens up a roster spot for Alex Pietrangelo, and also places extra defensive responsibilities onto Roman Polak.

Johan Franzen is out for four months with a torn knee ligament (ACL). Ouch (for both the Wings and poolies). Leino should get a huge boost in ice time, as should Dan Cleary. I didn’t expect much of anything from Bertuzzi and Williams this season, and this news doesn’t really change that. It also may mean the Wings will put Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom back together, and go with Leino-Filppula-Cleary on the second line.

Speculation out of Calgary is that Curtis McElhinney is starting tonight against Dallas. I’ll try and get confirmation.

Scott Hartnell has escaped punishment, as the NHL has cited a lack of evidence with regards to him biting Kris Letang. The Flyers only have one game this week, but Hartnell owners will be happy to know he will suit up for it.

Columbus scratched Kris Russell in favor of Anton Stralman. At this point in time, Stralman is a better d-man (and much more dynamic on the PP). There is no way the Jackets keep both of them as regulars in the top six, so keep an eye on this battle. Stralman could get 30 points if he plays enough games this season. Huge shot, great skater, fantastic puck mover. Downside is his lack of size, strength, and defensive acumen.

Washington has assigned Eric Fehr to the AHL for a conditioning stint. I guess this means he is close to a return. Fehr was an awesome player in the WHL, but nagging back injuries have slowed down his development in the NHL. I don’t own him in any leagues but he is definitely still on my radar. He probably needs a move out of Washington to break out (at least with their current depth).

Sheldon Souray is out with a mild concussion (for now, anyway) after being clobbered by Jarome Iginla. Patt Quinn was not a fan of the hit.

Ducks score six, Getzlaf is pointless. Caps score three, Ovechkin is pointless. Sometimes fantasy hockey is a funny thing…

Marian Gaborik with a typical night – silent through two periods before single-handedly winning the game in the third with two quick goals.

Caught some of the Lightning game last night – Victor Hedman looked awesome. Full of confidence and really was looking comfortable at both ends of the ice. Stamkos had a pair of goals as well – expect a big production jump for him this season, as long as he sticks with Marty St. Louis at least.

Patric Hornqvist has arrived. The talented Swede scored a pair of goals while filling in on the top line for the injured JP Dumont. He was a big time point producer in the SEL, and it looks like after a year of adjusting to the North American game, he is ready to do the same in the NHL.

The Smyth-Kopitar-Williams line combined for nine points. Williams was a huge sleeper in most drafts, and I saw Smyth slide quite a bit as well. I really like the Kings this season. They are very deep at all positions, and Quick is a strong goalie.

Josh Harding got the start against the Kings and was shelled. The Wild want to play him more this season, but he needs to prove he deserves it. Last night definitely didn’t go the way he wanted it to.

Speaking of good top lines… Heatley-Thornton-Setoguchi combined for 10 points. I think Heatley will work out just fine in San Jose…

More to come in the morning…