The Jets are hoping to have defenseman Dustin Byfuglien back in the lineup sometime early next month, reports Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe. The veteran blueliner has been out since suffering a lower-body injury on December 9th. He has, however, returned to practice and will be a welcome addition when he gets the green light to return as he has once again logged heavy minutes this season, averaging 23:40 per game.
Still with Winnipeg, rearguard Toby Enstrom has also resumed skating although his return to the lineup is still a little further off. Jets bench boss Paul Maurice told Wiebe that Enstrom is still on pace to meet his original timetable for a return which should have him getting the okay to play around the third week of January.
Other news and notes from around the hockey world:
- The NHL is in no rush to discuss participating in future Olympic Games, notes John Wawrow of the Associated Press. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke with IIHF General Secretary Horst Lichtner during yesterday’s outdoor game at the World Juniors and acknowledged he was asked about when the NHL would be ready to talk about participating in the 2022 Games in China. Daly noted that talks won’t begin until the 2018 tournament ends but didn’t pour cold water on the idea, stating that “Obviously, some of the logistical difficulties we have with South Korea will be the same in China. But maybe there are some opportunities in China that aren’t in South Korea”.
- Lightning winger Ryan Callahan is on schedule in his recovery from an upper-body injury, reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. He was initially expected to miss three-to-four weeks after being injured on December 14th but Callahan has already resumed skating. He’s expected to accompany Tampa Bay on their upcoming five-game road trip that ends on January 7th and he should be close to getting the green light to return by then. Smith adds that defenseman Anton Stralman, who missed his second straight game Friday with a lower-body issue, is expected to return to the lineup on Sunday.
- Flyers defenseman Mark Alt has cleared waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link) was first to report. He’s expected to be assigned to their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley where he had gotten off to a nice start to his season, recording nine points in 16 games. For perspective, he had just 11 points in 40 contests in 2016-17.