Ramblings: Jordan Staal Update; Coyotes Injuries; Deadline; Dahlin – February 19

 

Jordan Staal was back at practice for the Carolina Hurricanes, but this time he was in a regular jersey instead of a non-contact one. For a player returning from a concussion, this is a significant step. I imagine he’ll need a few more practices under his belt before he’s cleared, but it looks like he should return to the lineup sooner rather than later. That’s a huge boon for the Hurricanes in this playoff push, if not overly fantasy-relevant.

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Pontus Aberg should be back for Minnesota’s game Tuesday night while Victor Rask will not be.

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Boone Jenner returned for the Blue Jackets having missed their last couple games, skating in his usual spot with Nick Foligno and Josh Anderson. Anthony Duclair, meanwhile, was a healthy scratch:

 

Asked why Duclair is a healthy scratch again, Torts said: “bad listening skills.” Wouldn’t elaborate.

— Tom Reed (@treed1919) February 18, 2019

 

I know it’s the way of the world that a player at the end of the roster will get nitpicked to death while those at the top of the roster will not. However, it always struck me as a way to alienate a guy who could help a team win.

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Corey Crawford is still skating with Chicago, which continues to be a good sign, but there’s still no firm update on a return.

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We got an update from Craig Morgan at The Athletic about a few of the injured Arizona players:

To summarize:

• Still not expecting Antti Raanta to return this year.
• Christian Dvorak’s conditioning stint length is not determined, could be one game, could be several.