What looked like a familiar set this morning, with the welcome addition of Tomas Marcinko to full practice, got a bit jumbled quickly. Notes:
–The Islanders announced that Calvin de Haan will miss four to six weeks with a left-shoulder injury, without further specifics. They don’t expect him to need surgery, though. Brent Thompson had said earlier that Brett Gallant is on a similar timetable, though there’s even fewer specifics on his upper-body injury. Joey Haddad practiced again.
–The Islanders then announced this afternoon that David Ullstrom, out since a Dec. 20 concussion, is coming back to Bridgeport.
Edit: Forgot to mention Mark Katic skating. Back on the ice, at least; a first step back. At best, he’s six to eight weeks away. But still.
Edit3: I seem to have whacked this accidentally while adding the Katic note, but Bridgeport let Mathieu Aubin go Wednesday.
–One defenseman, and most likely two defensemen, will be coming in on PTOs in the next couple of days. Edit2: According to the ECHL transactions today, one of them appears to be Alaska’s Brandon Gentile, who played for Thompson last year, a defensive guy with some mobility.
What the lineup will look like, who’ll finally be in: Still to be determined, Thompson said. Marcinko is the closest of the three close regulars. The Islanders play Thursday night, as well.
Meanwhile, new potential shootout candidate: sniper Benn Olson outlasted Kael Mouillierat to win the last-man-standing competition today.
Will take a closer look over the NHL Central Scouting midseason draft rankings for skaters and goalies. At first glance, the only local I caught was at No. 123, Brunswick’s/New Canaan’s Kevin Duane. The Connecticut prep schoolers all appear to be from out of our region (though one is the son of former NHL coach and player John Stevens). Only other Connecticut name I recognized off the top of my head was former Enfield High freshman standout Robbie Baillargeon, who’s in the USHL. Speaking of upstate, Matt Conyers has more on that Gordie Howe visit to Glastonbury.