Jeff Carter thinks he can play in Game 1

Following today’s practice, Jeff Carter declared himself “good-to-go” for the playoff opener on Wednesday according to Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider. However, head coach Darryl Sutter was less than optimistic, saying his scoring winger definitely needed some work after his appearance on the ice. Regardless, Carter taking part in line rushes is a very encouraging sign for his status.

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4/6/12: Carter continues to progress as reported by Jim Fox of Fox Sports, via Twitter. The scoring winger was spotted taking shots on goal but not skating around. Carter still needs a good team practice before returning but he should be an option in the playoffs.

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4/4/12: Carter skated this morning for the first time since his injury according to Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider. Although Carter took to the ice, he did not practice with the entire team and won’t skate tomorrow. A few days ago, head coach Darryl Sutter explained Carter would need a full practice before returning. As we originally speculated, don’t expect Carter to play for the remainder of the regular season.

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4/2/12: This afternoon, the Kings’ official Twitter account announced Jeff Carter’s MRI results. The scoring winger has no breaks in his foot but rather a deep bone bruise, listing him as day-to-day. Carter is still expected to miss some playing time but could be an option for later this week or the first round of the playoffs. Check back for a further update on his status.

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3/31/12: Sounds like Carter will miss Monday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers according to Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider, via Twitter. The wounded forward will undergo an MRI before the tilt but it remains a long shot for him to play. As we noted below, probably a good idea to drop him.

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3/30/12: This morning, the excellent Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider caught up with Los Angeles Kings winger Jeff Carter. Hammond reported, via Twitter, that not only was the sniper in a walking boot but he wouldn’t be reevaluated until Sunday. Those of you without a calendar in front of them should see that the Kings play both tonight and Saturday, effectively ruling him out for the remainder of the fantasy hockey week.

Losing Carter should be seen as a huge loss. Although the London, Ont., native only has six goals and nine points through 16 games, his presence in the lineup has given the team a gigantic boost. Since I’m too lazy to research the numbers in depth, I suggest you check out this entry on RLDhockey.net. In short, his contributions helped take pressure off the rest of the lineup and added depth to the top two lines. Without him, all bets are off with regards to the Kings’ worrisome offense.

Those of you in head-to-head fantasy hockey leagues pretty much have no other choice but to drop him. Carter won’t hit IR since the NHL expanded their maximum allowable roster size; he also is questionable to play the rest of the regular season. Nevertheless, with the Kings firmly entrenched in the Western Conference playoff race, it wouldn’t be a surprise for Carter to try and grit through the pain.