Predators Injured Reserve List

[PredDave]

INJURY UPDATE

Closer to returning: Forward Scottie Upshall, who hasn't played since suffering a groin injury Nov. 15, continues to practice with the Predators and will be re-evaluated this weekend.

If the injury is not troubling him at that point, he's likely to be sent to Milwaukee on a conditioning assignment.

Missing practice: Center Vern Fiddler and defenseman Greg Zanon missed practice on Wednesday because of minor injury concerns, but Trotz said both are likely to be ready for Friday's game against Columbus.

[PredDave]

Left wing Scottie Upshall continues to make progress in his recovery from a groin injury that has kept him sidelined since Nov. 21.

Trotz plans to send Upshall to the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League for a conditioning stint.

[PredDave]

Upshall update

Milwaukee bound: Predators forward Scottie Upshall, who hasn't played since partially tearing a groin muscle Nov. 15, is scheduled to head to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Monday.

Trotz said Upshall will spend two weeks with the Predators' top affiliate on a conditioning assignment. He will count toward the Predators' roster even while at Milwaukee, which means — assuming no one else gets hurt in the meantime — Nashville will have maximized its roster at 23 players.

[PredDave]

Upshall to Milwaukee:

Forward Scottie Upshall, who's been out with a groin injury since Nov. 20, practiced with the team Tuesday before heading to Milwaukee for a rehabilitation assignment.

Starting Friday, the Admirals have a stretch of six games in seven days. Upshall said the plan is for him to see action in at least four games, then rejoin the Predators after the All-Star break.

"I'll see how it feels and go from there," he said. "It's to the point now where you've got to just try it out, give it all you've got. I think it's game-ready. I can take some contact."

Trotz said once Upshall is back, eight forwards will be competing for five slots on the active roster each game.

"Even when you're playing well you might, for a certain team, have to sit," Trotz said. "It's going to be a fact of life in our situation."

[PredDave]

Back at it:

Two members of the Predators organization returned to the ice Friday following lengthy injury rehabilitations.

Right wing Scottie Upshall, who had been sidelined since injuring a groin Nov. 15, was in the lineup for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League. Upshall had two shots on goal and posted a zero plus-minus rating in a 4-1 loss to Rochester.

Goaltender Pekka Rinne, who hadn't played all season after undergoing shoulder surgery during training camp, made his first appearance for Milwaukee. He surrendered four first-period goals and stopped 16 of 20 shots overall.

Rinne didn't play on Saturday, but Upshall picked up an assist in the Admirals' 3-2 win over the Toronto Marlies.

Upshall is scheduled to rejoin the Predators in Chicago on Jan. 26, when Nashville plays its first game following the NHL all-star break.

"They're both really good prospects for us,'' Predators Coach Barry Trotz said. "Upshall has a lot of versatility and speed and we expect Pekka to be a top goaltender in this league. But we know they're both going to have a little bit of rust."

[PredDave]

Upshall status:

The Predators originally planned for forward Scott Upshall (groin) to join them in Chicago after a rehab assignment in Milwaukee, but Peterson said Upshall is expected to stay with the minor league affiliate for a bit more work.

[PredDave]

Zidlicky to play for Predators at Colorado on Tuesday

Zidlicky to play for Predators at Colorado on Tuesday - Nashville, Tennessee - Monday, 01/29/07 - Tennessean.com


Defenseman Marek Zidlicky will be back in the lineup on Tuesday when the Predators take on the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, Coach Barry Trotz said.

Zidlicky came down with the flu on the final day of the NHL All-Star break and was placed on injured reserve Friday morning. He missed Nashville's back-to-back games in Chicago and St. Louis, and did not return to the ice until Sunday in an optional skate.

He participated in all of today's practice at Centennial Sportsplex.

Tomas Vokoun will start in goal against the Avalanche.

The netminder is 4-0 since returning from thumb surgery that sidelined him for 21 games. He made one other start in that time (against Detroit) but he was pulled early in the second period and Chris Mason ended up with the loss.

“You practice hard and do everything to get back into shape,” Vokoun said. “You can
say, ‘I feel great’ and then play bad. I am getting back and that is all I am looking for. It’s not easy and not every season is. Sometimes you have to dig in.”

Also returning to the ice were forwards Scottie Upshall and Alexander Radulov. Both were recalled from Milwaukee on Sunday.

[PredDave]

Injury, illness update:

Predators center Vern Fiddler missed Thursday's game with the flu.

He was the latest casualty of the illness, which has affected defensemen Kimmo Timonen and Marek Zidlicky among others. Jordin Tootoo was also a scratch because of a sore hip and missed his first game since Dec. 21.

Predators Coach Barry Trotz said Tootoo was probable for Saturday's game against Anaheim.

Right wing Scottie Upshall was a healthy scratch, two nights after playing his first game since Nov. 15. Right wing Alexander Radulov had the wind knocked out of him on a tough hit by Phoenix defenseman Keith Ballard in the third period, but later returned to the contest.

[PredDave]

Weber, Tootoo out for tonight - Nashville, Tennessee - Tuesday, 02/06/07 - Tennessean.com

Predators defenseman Shea Weber (sore jaw) and forward Jordin Tootoo (sore hip) will miss tonight's game in Pittsburgh.

Tootoo, who has been out the last two games due to hip pain, has been placed on injured reserve to make room for Sheldon Brookbank, who was called up from the Milwaukee Admirals to replace Weber in the lineup and will make his NHL debut.

Weber took a hit to the jaw from Anaheim left wing Travis Moen during a fight in the final minutes of last Saturday's game against the Ducks. The hit sent Weber to his knees and he was helped off the ice. Asked if Weber had shown any signs of concussion, Coach Barry Trotz said no.

Trotz said results of an MRI taken of Tootoo's hip last Friday came back negative.

Mason in goal: Predators goaltender Chris Mason will start tonight against Pittsburgh.

Tomas Vokoun got the previous three starts, losing two out West before collecting a 3-0 shutout win over Anaheim on Saturday.

"It's good for this team we have two great goalies," Vokoun said. "And as much as they want to get me back they don't want (Mason) to get rusty from sitting on the bench."

[PredDave]

Dumont may play for Preds tonight - Nashville, Tennessee - Saturday, 02/17/07 - Tennessean.com

Predators forward J.P. Dumont, who missed Friday night’s game in St. Louis with a groin injury, skated on his own this morning and said he felt ready to return to action tonight.

Coach Barry Trotz said Dumont was a “possibility” for tonight's 7 p.m. game against the Minnesota Wild at Gaylord Entertainment Center, but that he wouldn’t know until pre-game warm-ups.

“We will see how I feel but for right now it feels pretty good,” Dumont said.

As for how he got hurt, Dumont said he doesn’t really know.

“For awhile I couldn’t push or anything with my leg and I didn’t know what was going on so I got off (the ice),” Dumont said. “I felt it yesterday too on the plane, but when I got up it felt better.”

Predators forward Jordin Tootoo was also on the ice participating in a team skate for the first time this month. He is on injured reserve and has missed the last seven games with pain in his hip.

Trotz said Tootoo will still not be in the lineup tonight, and was unsure about Monday’s game against Phoenix.

“He said he didn’t have much lungs today,” Trotz said. “We will see how he is tomorrow.”

[PredDave]

As of March 5,

Forsberg and Legwand missed yesterday's game with "upper body'' injuries and the team is hoping that both will be able to return for Tuesday's contest against Detroit. Arnott is still suffering from flu-like symptoms.

The Predators were already without forwards Steve Sullivan (back spasms) and Scott Hartnell (foot).

Series painful for Predators, Ducks - Nashville, Tennessee - Monday, 03/05/07 - Tennessean.com

[PredDave]

Injuries still pile up: Nichol, Zidlicky hurt - Nashville, Tennessee - Wednesday, 03/07/07 - Tennessean.com

The Predators lost two more players to injury Tuesday when center Scott Nichol suffered a broken thumb and defenseman Marek Zidlicky suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury.

Nichol said he took a two-handed slash to his hand from Detroit defenseman Brett Lebda near the end of the first period. No penalty was called on the play.

[PredDave]

MARCH 8, 2007

INJURIES. After making it through most of the season with only a couple significant injuries, the Predators are getting hammered all at once.

They'll likely be without Forsberg, Steve Sullivan, Scott Hartnell and Scott Nichol tonight, with Marek Zidlicky a question mark as well. There's no indication yet that any of those players' absences will stretch into the playoffs, however.

[PredDave]

Forsberg remains uncertain for Wings - Nashville, Tennessee - Tuesday, 03/13/07 - Tennessean.com

Predators fans hoping to see center Peter Forsberg on the ice for tonight's game against Detroit probably should temper their enthusiasm.

Forsberg practiced on Monday and didn't rule out playing tonight, but he didn't sound as if returning to the lineup was a certainty either.

He's missed the past four games with an "upper-body" injury.

"It's getting better," Forsberg said. "I don't know for (Tuesday) yet. We'll see. But it's definitely going in the right direction."

The Predators are three points ahead of the Red Wings in the Western Conference standings, with the teams set to play tonight at Gaylord Entertainment Center and Wednesday night at Joe Louis Arena.

"These are the games you want to play — back-to-back with Detroit and fighting for first place," Forsberg said. "But like I've said before, you have to look at the long run, too, and don't do stupid things and go out and play unless it's 100 percent. We'll see what happens (Tuesday)."

Predators Coach Barry Trotz said he'd take a wait-and-see approach regarding Forsberg's availability.

"We're going to do the right thing for Peter," Trotz said. "When he's ready to play, he's going to play. And if he's not ready, we're not going to force him into anything. We'll probably see where is (today) and make a decision."

Left wing Steve Sullivan, who's missed seven straight games with back spasms, went through a full practice Monday for the first time since suffering the injury. But he's not likely to be ready for tonight's game.

[PredDave]

Getting closer:

Forward Scott Hartnell, who hasn't played a game since Feb. 22 because of a broken foot, is moving closer to recovery. Trotz said Tuesday there's a chance Hartnell will resume skating within a week.