The early-season drama involving the Blue Jackets defensemen took a couple of more turns yesterday, and the Jackets could face Anaheim tonight in Nationwide Arena without three of the seven blue-liners who opened the season.
Mike Commodore is out indefinitely. He was placed on injured reserve because of a chip fracture in his left thumb.
Kris Russell and Anton Stralman aren't headed for the shelf just yet, but it won't be a surprise if they miss tonight's game.
Russell left Monday's practice early and skipped yesterday's workout to rest what coach Scott Arniel termed a lower-body injury. Arniel made it clear that this injury was not related to the sprained knee that Russell suffered early in training camp.
Stralman suffered a sprained shoulder in Friday's loss to Chicago. He practiced yesterday for the first time in three days but wore a red "no contact" sweater and didn't take full-power shots during power-play drills.
"I'm not really worried about the shooting, because you don't shoot that many times, maybe three or four in a game," Stralman said. "I could manage through that, even though it's painful.
"It's more the other stuff, the passing, the battling all that stuff, taking hits. We didn't really do that (in practice), so it's hard to say what that's going to feel like."
Stralman and Russell both will be evaluated this morning at the rink.
As a precaution, the Blue Jackets recalled defenseman Nick Holden from minor-league Springfield. He could join the lineup if both Russell and Stralman are unable to play.
Prospects on hold
The Blue Jackets have recalled veterans Nate Guenin and now Holden from minor-league Springfield, opting to leave top prospects John Moore and David Savard in the minors.
"(Holden) had a very good training camp," general manager Scott Howson said. "He's played well down there, as have some of our other players.
"We just thought the time was right for Nick. It's no slight against anybody else."
Another reason is that Holden is in his third pro season. Moore and Savard are barely two weeks into their first.
Tough task
Arniel plans to use the checking line - Ethan Moreau, Sammy Pahlsson, R.J. Umberger - almost exclusively against the Ducks' No.1 line.
It's no small task. Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry average 6 feet 3, 211 pounds.
"We'll try to get Sammy and the size of Umby and Moreau against those big guys," Arniel said. "They're so big, though, you're not able to lean on them and move them out of the way. But that line will get most of the job.
"If we catch them tired, or they're in a situation where they're playing lots of special teams, we can maybe throw Antoine Vermette's line and their skill out there, see if we can catch them."
Wounded Duck
Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler, the 12th overall pick in the June entry draft, will play tonight despite a broken nose suffered this week.
Mike Commodore is out indefinitely. He was placed on injured reserve because of a chip fracture in his left thumb.
Kris Russell and Anton Stralman aren't headed for the shelf just yet, but it won't be a surprise if they miss tonight's game.
Russell left Monday's practice early and skipped yesterday's workout to rest what coach Scott Arniel termed a lower-body injury. Arniel made it clear that this injury was not related to the sprained knee that Russell suffered early in training camp.
Stralman suffered a sprained shoulder in Friday's loss to Chicago. He practiced yesterday for the first time in three days but wore a red "no contact" sweater and didn't take full-power shots during power-play drills.
"I'm not really worried about the shooting, because you don't shoot that many times, maybe three or four in a game," Stralman said. "I could manage through that, even though it's painful.
"It's more the other stuff, the passing, the battling all that stuff, taking hits. We didn't really do that (in practice), so it's hard to say what that's going to feel like."
Stralman and Russell both will be evaluated this morning at the rink.
As a precaution, the Blue Jackets recalled defenseman Nick Holden from minor-league Springfield. He could join the lineup if both Russell and Stralman are unable to play.
Prospects on hold
The Blue Jackets have recalled veterans Nate Guenin and now Holden from minor-league Springfield, opting to leave top prospects John Moore and David Savard in the minors.
"(Holden) had a very good training camp," general manager Scott Howson said. "He's played well down there, as have some of our other players.
"We just thought the time was right for Nick. It's no slight against anybody else."
Another reason is that Holden is in his third pro season. Moore and Savard are barely two weeks into their first.
Tough task
Arniel plans to use the checking line - Ethan Moreau, Sammy Pahlsson, R.J. Umberger - almost exclusively against the Ducks' No.1 line.
It's no small task. Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry average 6 feet 3, 211 pounds.
"We'll try to get Sammy and the size of Umby and Moreau against those big guys," Arniel said. "They're so big, though, you're not able to lean on them and move them out of the way. But that line will get most of the job.
"If we catch them tired, or they're in a situation where they're playing lots of special teams, we can maybe throw Antoine Vermette's line and their skill out there, see if we can catch them."
Wounded Duck
Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler, the 12th overall pick in the June entry draft, will play tonight despite a broken nose suffered this week.
