Carter missed the last 10 games but could return tonight depending on how warmups go. The Kings offence has missed their premier sniper, but were still able to go 6-1-2 because of strong goaltending. Carter will skate on a line with Dwight King and Mike Richards.
Carter is taking line rushes with Dwight King and Mike Richards in Kings practice this afternoon suggesting he could be in the lineup tonight. We will get an official update after Kings' pre-game skate.
Carter is still considered to be a few days away from returning and will likely need to participate in a few more practices before he plays. If he is unexpectedly activated off of IR and plays tonight, we will update.
Malkin was given a maintenance day on Tuesday, but was fully expected to suit up tonight. It appears that he will dress and skate with James Neal and Pascal Dupuis vs. Washington. Malkin has only three goals this season but his 17 assists is fourth in the NHL. He has 10 assists in his last eight games.
Malkin posted two assists on Monday, his 16th and 17th of the season. Monitor his status during Wednesday's morning skate.
Carter has been out since early November and will miss his eighth straight contest tonight. Carter has been wearing a walking boot, so his return to the ice is a very good sign that he is progressing towards a return. The Kings are 5-1-1 without Carter, so they likely won't rush him back.
Since returning from his knee injury on October 25, Letang has scored three goals and added one assist in nine games. If he can't go tonight, the returning Paul Martin would take his spot on the Penguins top power-play unit.
There were unconfirmed reports that it was a broken foot but Darryl Sutter confirmed it today. A timetable for Carter's return was not given, but he has been ruled out for the remaining three games of their road trip. When a timeframe is released we will update Carter's status.
The Kings have been very vague with Carter's injury details. There was speculation that Carter was dealing with a foot issue and a walking boot certainly solidify that report. A walking boot usually signifies a significant injury so Carter could be out for a extended period of time.
Ouellet played well in 17:15 in his only game with the Red Wings on October 21. He has three assists and a plus-8 rating in 12 games with Grand Rapids. With Jonathan Ericsson and Brendan Smith sidelined with injuries, Ouellet will dress tomorrow vs. Tampa Bay.
There is very little information on Carter's injury, but he is expected to skate with the team this afternoon and then be placed on IR later. Tyler Toffoli and Linden Vey have been recalled with Carter out. He is tied for the team lead in goals with five.
Nieto missed Sunday's contest with a hand injury he suffered blocking a shot on Saturday. "It would not be fair to him or the team to put him into the line up," said Sharks head coach Todd McLellan.
The 2011, 30th overall pick Rakell has four goals and one assist in nine games with Norfolk. He appeared in four NHL games with the Ducks last season, but did not register a point.
Letang will skate with Rob Scuderi in 5-on-5 situations, he will also be featured on their top power-play unit, as well as 5-on-3 unit. Letang should be safe to play even though it is his first game back. He is too talented to bench.
Letang has been sidelined for the Penguins first nine games because of a knee injury. The Penguins went 7-2-0 without their star defenseman, so his presence on the back-end and on the power-play will only bolster and already elite lineup. There were reports that he was 'flying' in practice this week, making him safe to deploy tonight - if he plays of course.
Ouellet was recalled yesterday incase Niklas Kronwall could not play, which was not the case. He returns to Grand Rapids where he has two assists in five games.
Letang will likely make his season debut tomorrow after missing the first nine games with a knee injury. He had five goals and 33 assists (38 points) in 35 games last season.
Ouellet made his NHL debut on Monday and was sent down yesterday, but has been recalled this morning after Niklas Kronwall took a puck to the face in the Red Wings gameday skate. Kronwall is expected to play, but Ouellet has been recalled as a precaution.
This is a positive sign that Letang could be in the lineup on Friday vs. the Islanders.
Ouellet impressed Red WIngs head coach Mike Babcock in his NHL debut. He played 17:15 and recorded one shot in the 1-0 shootout loss. Ouellet looks like he has a bright future ahead of him with the Red Wings.
