MacKinnon's return to practice this afternoon suggests that he will be in the lineup on Wednesday vs. Los Angeles. To be safe, Monitor his status following Wednesday's morning skate. In weekly leagues, it appears as if he should be safe to deploy.
Conner has been out since December 31 after wrist surgery. Conner has four goals and one assist in 19 games this season.
Bennett has been out since November 22 and will remain out until at least mid-March. He is a candidate to play on the Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz line with Pascal Dupuis out for the rest of the season, but that will have to wait.
Martin suffered a broken hand in Sochi. With just eight weeks left in the regular season, Martin will miss at least four weeks of action. The Penguins will be without their top two defensemen as Martin joins Kris Letang (stroke) on IR.
Datsyuk said that the knee pain is the same as it was before the Olympic break. He represented Russia in Sochi, which appears to have hurt his status with the Red Wings. The Wings are already without their captain Henrik Zetterberg, so they need Datsyuk in their lineup if they are going to make the playoffs. Monitor his status following Wednesday's morning skate.
After a busy Olympics for Henrik Lundqvist, Talbot will get the start in the first game back for the Rangers. He stopped 29 of 31 shots in a loss to the Oilers in his last start. He has gone 10-5-0 with a 1.79 GAA and .935 SV% in his rookie season. He will be in tough on Thursday with the Blackhawks coming to MSG.
Ward has not played a game since December 31. He allowed four goals on 25 shots in a 5-4 OT win over the Habs that night. Injuries have held Ward to 18 starts this season, he is 6-7-5 with a 3.14 GAA and .895 SV% on the season. Ward gets a good matchup in his first game back as he gets set to take on the Sabres.
The Canadiens will get Alex Galchenyuk and Travis Moen back on Wednesday, but Prust and Michael Bournival are out. Prust has 11 points (5G / 6A) in 48 games.
Galchenyuk has missed the last 15 games with a broken right hand. He has 10 goals and 13 assists (23 points) with a minus-7 rating in 44 games this season. He will skate on a line with Lars Eller and Rene Bourque.
Budaj's last start was on January 30, he stopped 34 of 35 shots in a 4-1 win over the Bruins. The Canadiens will give Carey Price an extra day of rest after a long Olympics. Price will likely get the nod on Thursday, but Budaj will get his second home start of the season when the Red Wings come to town.
Schneider allowed one goal on 24 shots in a 3-0 loss to the Capitals in the Devils' final game before the break. Schneider has won four of his last eight starts while posting a 1.63 GAA and .930 SV%. On Thursday he will take on the Blue Jackets for the second time this season, he allowed three goals on 23 shots in 4-1 loss back in October.
Galchenyuk last played on January 6, he has missed the last 15 games with a broken right hand. At Canadiens practice this afternoon he skated on the third line with Lars Eller and Rene Bourque. Monitor his status following the Habs morning skate on Wednesday, but it appears as if he will be in the lineup vs. the Red Wings.
Kindl missed the last two games before the break with a sprained MCL. His knee has not healed enough for him to return to the Red Wings lineup on Wednesday or Thursday. The Red Wings have recalled Ryan Sproul as their seventh defenseman. Look for Kindl to return next Tuesday vs. the Devils.
With Jakub Kindl (knee) out for the next two games, Sproul has been recalled to serve as the Red Wings extra defenseman. He has registered eight goals and 16 assists (24 points) in 53 games with Grand Rapids this season.
Enroth did not see any action in Sochi because of the presence of Henrik Lundqvist. In 20 games played, Enroth is still stuck on one win (Oct. 25) and will be in tough on Wednesday when he takes on the Bruins. Enroth has posted a 3.96 GAA and .881 SV% in his last five starts.
The Sabres will give Tallinder the night off after representing Sweden at the Olympics in Sochi. The Sabres play again tomorrow, so they likely don't want him playing on consecutive nights after arriving back in the States just two days ago.
The Sabres will give Tallinder the night off after playing in the Olympics. Scott will play his regular position on the blueline for the first time this season.
Tavares is done for the remainder of the regular season. With the Islanders sitting 12 points out of the final playoff spot in the East, it seems very unlikely they will make the playoffs without their captain. Look for Tavares at the start of training camp for the 2014-15 season.
Despite not being able to go to Sochi, the two-week break allowed Filppula's broken ankle to heal to the point where he should only miss one game. He missed the first game before the break, but should be back in the lineup on Thursday.
