East Notes: Schroeder, Paquette, Kronwall

Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward Jordan Schroeder has been activated from injured reserve and sent to the AHL on a conditioning stint, as he continues to work his way back from an upper-body injury. Schroeder was acquired this summer from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Dante Salituro, but has yet to get into a game with the Blue Jackets this season.

A first-round pick in 2009, Schroeder never did quite fulfill his potential and has just 40 points in 144 career games. Once recovered, his presence will further complicate things in the bottom-six for Columbus, who are already carrying 13 forwards and are due back Boone Jenner at some point.

• Cedric Paquette will be held out of the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup tonight with an undisclosed injury, though head coach Jon Cooper doesn’t believe it is a long-term problem. Paquette has been a fixture in Tampa Bay for several years, and had previously served as a primary penalty killer. This year however that job has at least partially gone to newcomer Chris Kunitz and young Brayden Point, making this injury a little easier to handle. Paquette is seeing the fewest minutes of his career, but could still be a useful depth option when he eventually returns.
• Detroit Red Wings editor Dana Wakiji fills us in from practice today with one important note: Niklas Kronwall is skating with the main group and looks ready to make his season debut. Kronwall, a Red Wings legend, was skating with Mike Green and could debut tonight against the Arizona Coyotes. While the Red Wings start to move away from their previous core, Kronwall remains as one of the last members of the 2008 Stanley Cup team. He’ll try to find some of that magic again this season at age-36, in the sixth year of his seven-year extension.