This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
Tuesday could be a very special day, sports fans. Why? Brace yourselves.
After a seven-year exile, Scott Gomez has returned to the Devils, signing a contract with the team Sunday night, and it sounds like he's going to jump right into the lineup Tuesday for his first game as a Devil since 2007.
I remember the day of July 1, 2007, when the Rangers announced that they'd signed both Gomez and Chris Drury to terrible contracts. Well, they didn't refer to them that way then, but that's what they were, and I, for one, found it quite apparent right then. The Rangers paid Gomez for his fluky 33-goal 2005-06 season and proceeded to watch him rather rapidly degrade into a borderline-useless hockey player whom they managed to trade just in time (and, in quite a coup, got a young Ryan McDonagh for him). They paid Drury for scoring against them in the playoffs and watched him wash out of the league. It's not that I'm bitter; it's just that I'm extremely bitter.
But nonetheless, these are not the times to dwell on Gomez's horrible, horrible failings after leaving New Jersey. These are the times to celebrate the return of the prodigal son after a meandering journey. Now nearly 35 years old, Gomez was drafted 27th overall by the Devils in 1998, and it took him just one year to reach the NHL. He broke in with 70 points as a rookie, winning the Calder Trophy, and went on to clear 60 points four more times as a Devil.
But that was then and this is now; in the present, Gomez is nothing more than a fourth-liner and a piece of welcome nostalgia for Devils fans who have seen their team win just nine times in its first 24 games. Happy Tuesday, New Jersey.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Senators (Craig Anderson) at Islanders (Jaroslav Halak), 7:00 PM
Devils (Cory Schneider) at Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury), 7:00 PM
Canucks (Ryan Miller) at Capitals (Braden Holtby), 7:00 PM
Predators (Pekka Rinne) at Hurricanes (Cam Ward), 7:00 PM
Lightning (Evgeni Nabokov) at Sabres (Jhonas Enroth), 7:30 PM
Stars (Kari Lehtonen) at Maple Leafs (Jonathan Bernier), 7:30 PM
Panthers (Roberto Luongo) at Red Wings (Jimmy Howard), 7:30 PM
Coyotes (Devan Dubnyk) at Flames (Karri Ramo), 9:00 PM
Flyers (Steve Mason) at Sharks (Antti Niemi), 10:00 PM
Bruins (Tuukka Rask) at Kings (Jonathan Quick), 10:30 PM
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check out our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News For Teams Playing Tuesday
Ottawa Senators
Bobby Ryan, RW (finger) – Unable to go Saturday; seems likely out Tuesday too
Marc Methot, D (back) – Expected to play Tuesday
Mark Borowiecki, D (undisclosed) – Expected back Tuesday
New York Islanders
Matt Carkner, D (back) – Expected out for the year
Michael Grabner, RW (hernia) – Could return to the lineup sometime this week
Lubomir Visnovsky, D (upper body) – Not at Monday's practice
Johnny Boychuk, D (upper body) – Also missed practice Monday
New Jersey Devils
Travis Zajac, C (lower body) – Placed on IR Monday
Ryane Clowe, LW (head) – Remains out indefinitely
Jon Merrill, D (arm) – Cleared to play
Adam Henrique, C (upper body) – Didn't practice Monday
Martin Havlat, RW (lower body) – Missing two-game road swing this week
Bryce Salvador, D (lower body) – Status remains unchanged; out indefinitely
Pittsburgh Penguins
Marcel Goc, C (foot) – Skated on his own prior to Monday's practice
Pascal Dupuis, RW (blood clot) – Out for most, if not all of the year
Beau Bennett, RW (knee) – Out about another week
Kris Letang, D (lower body) – Won't go Tuesday
Vancouver Canucks
Dan Hamhuis, D (lower body) – Not traveling on road trip
Tom Sestito, LW (lower body) – Skating, but return does not seem imminent
Zack Kassian, RW (finger) – Just a few days into 2-to-3-week absence
Washington Capitals
Dmitry Orlov, D (wrist) – Practicing, but no word on return date
Mike Green, D (upper body) – No word on expected return, but skating before practice
Nashville Predators
Viktor Stalberg, LW (knee) – Still out a matter of weeks
Carolina Hurricanes
Jordan Staal, C (broken leg) – Doing off-ice workouts
Brett Bellemore, D (lower body) – Not yet back at practice
Tampa Bay Lightning
No news is good news.
Buffalo Sabres
Cody McCormick, C (concussion) – Practiced Monday; no word on Tuesday
Drew Stafford, RW (lower body) – Back at practice Monday; could be back Tuesday
Andrej Meszaros, D (undisclosed) – Sat out Saturday; no further word
Joel Armia, RW (upper body) – Out at AHL Rochester with injury
Dallas Stars
Alex Goligoski, D (lower body) – Didn't practice Monday
Toronto Maple Leafs
Leo Komarov, LW (concussion) – Not at practice Monday
Brandon Kozun, RW (ankle) – Expected to play at least two more AHL rehab games
Carter Ashton, RW (suspension) – Nine games left on ban
Roman Polak, D (knee) – Out another three weeks
Florida Panthers
Roberto Luongo, G (upper body) – Expected to start Tuesday
Scottie Upshall, LW (leg) – Out about another week to 10 days
Shawn Thornton, LW (groin) – Didn't play Monday
Dave Bolland, C (groin) – Traveling with the team; could go Tuesday
Detroit Red Wings
Justin Abdelkader, LW (shoulder) – Won't go Tuesday
Jonas Gustavsson, G (shoulder) – Out about another month yet
Arizona Coyotes
David Moss, RW (upper body) – Didn't play Monday; unsure on Tuesday
Brandon Gormley, D (lower body) – Still not practicing
Connor Murphy, D (upper body) – Left Monday's game
Calgary Flames
Mikael Backlund, C (abdomen) – Week-to-week
Joe Colborne, C (wrist) – Skating, but no other progress reported
Matt Stajan, C (knee) – Skated Monday; about a week or so away
Ladislav Smid, D (personal) – Sat out Saturday, but probably back Tuesday
Mason Raymond, LW (upper body) – Like Colborne, no news other than that he's skating
Philadelphia Flyers
Ryan White, RW (chest) – Likely to return in late December or early January
San Jose Sharks
Raffi Torres, LW (knee) – Should start skating soon
Tyler Kennedy, LW (undisclosed) – Placed on IR over weekend; no timetable offered
Troy Grosenick, G (upper body) – Also hit IR, and Stalock is back now
Boston Bruins
Zdeno Chara, D (knee) – Not traveling with the team
David Krejci, C (groin) – Placed on IR Monday
Adam McQuaid, D (thumb) – Could be out well into January
David Warsofsky, D (groin) – Participated in practice Saturday
Kevan Miller, D (undisclosed) – Returned to practice Sunday
Los Angeles Kings
Slava Voynov, D (suspension) – Pled not guilty Monday
Alec Martinez, D (finger) – Didn't go Saturday
Marian Gaborik, RW (upper body) – Didn't play Saturday; possible for Tuesday
Hot
Rick Nash, LW, NYR – Nash's post-disappointment explosion continues. He's on a six-game point streak following Monday's helper against Tampa, and he's gone plus-6 in that span with four goals and three helpers. The 30-year-old has yet to post consecutive games without a point this season. He looks poised and confident on the ice, and there's no reason he shouldn't keep racking up the points. In fact, a career year could be in store.
Pavel Datsyuk, C, DET – Ah, Datsyuk's back in the 'Hot' section; all is right with the world again. All the Magician's done since returning from a four-game absence due to a groin issue is rack up a pair of two-goal outings in three games. He looks healthy and productive again after falling into a bit of a slump while he was limited by the groin, and his fantasy owners must be thrilled to see that.
Cold
Dan Girardi, D, NYR – Since hitting the scorer's sheet in three consecutive mid-November games, Girardi's fallen into a deep slump, having gone seven straight games without a point, culminating in Monday's scoreless, minus-3 effort against the Lightning. Despite skating significant minutes both at even strength and on the power play, Girardi's only put four shots on goal in that seven-game span. We only expect a bare minimum of offense from him, but he's giving the Rangers and fantasy owners even less than that.
Patrik Elias, LW, NJ – At 38 years old, it looks like Elias is finally reaching the end of the road. His scoring pace is at its low point since he broke into the league full-time, and he's also a career-worst minus-12 already. Half of that poor rating has come over the last three games, as he's gone scoreless with a minus-6 in that span. His shooting rate is down significantly, too, so it's no surprise that he owns just two goals on the year. And yet he still averages more than 18 minutes a game on the ice. It's time for the Devils to start making adjustments.
Recommended Pickup
Alex Killorn, LW, TB – Killorn had his seven-game point streak snapped Monday night against the Rangers, but it's clear that he's returned in a big way over these last few weeks following an injury-marred October and early November. He's seeing first-line ice alongside that Steven Stamkos guy and Ryan Callahan, which would be enough by itself to make him an object of fantasy interest; the facts that he's approached point-per-game production at the AHL level and broke out for 41 points in his first full NHL season last year add a little extra shine.
