Chris Nichols

­Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.

@Nichols_NHLPool on Twitter for timely NHL & poolie info, along with occasionally snarky comments.

Live blogging nightly: line combos, defensive pairings, analysis, statistical trends and more from every game on the NHL docket. Refresh the 'Live NHL Recap' page while the games are on to get new info as it is added.

Send in a brief fantasy hockey question, including all relevant league info, and it may be included in a future Hockey Hearsay blog during the week. One per person, please. Send it via Twitter for a possible response in the blog, or send via email (include your first name and hometown to represent!) if you'd prefer. chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com

According to Sportsnet.ca's Ian Mendes, the Ottawa Senators will have to play without their No. 1 centre for the foreseeable future. Jason Spezza will be sidelined with a right shoulder injury that will keep him away from the ice for the next few weeks.

The encouraging news for the Senators is that the injury should not require surgery and Spezza should be able to return this season - although it will likely be after the NHL All-Star break.

"It's going to be a while. I've never hurt my shoulder before, so there's kind of a lot of grey area right now," Spezza said on Monday morning, with his right arm in a sling. "It seems like it's going to be fine without surgery. But it just happened, so it's still fresh. We'll get a better idea in the next week or so."

Spezza injured his shoulder when he fell awkwardly into the boards after being hit by Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang early in the second period of Sunday's game. He immediately left the ice in significant pain. He watched the television replays of the hit and believes that there was some carelessness on the part of Letang.

"I thought it was a little bit dirty. He doesn't have to push me there. My back is to him the whole time and I'm going for the puck," said Spezza. "I think even he realizes that he pushed me and he tries to catch me I think. The league will look at it I'm sure."

Mendes says the Senators do have a couple of options.

Peter Regin, a natural centre who has been playing on the wing, could be moved into the middle of a line with Milan Michalek and Ryan Shannon. Under that scenario, the club could call-up Zack Smith to play on the fourth-line wing.

Alternatively, the Sens could re-call centre Corey Locke, who is currently second in AHL scoring with 38 points, and have him move into Spezza's role in the top-six.

"I hope I get to play a little more and I'll do my best to try and fill that role, but it's a big jersey to fill out. I'll do my best if I get the chance," said Regin.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that Jordan Staal not only skated with his teammates Sunday but also would not rule out a return to the lineup in time for the outdoor Winter Classic Saturday against Washington.

"I don't know. I feel really good," Staal said. "Things are going in the right direction. If all is well, you never know."

He cautioned, though, that "we want to go a little slow" with his surgically repaired right hand.

Staal had been skating some on his own, but participated in the morning skate as the rest of the Penguins prepared for a game against the Senators.

The Post-Gazette notes it originally was hoped that Staal would be back by mid-December, but his recovery has stretched longer. His hand was broken by a shot in practice Nov. 1, and he had surgery the next day. He said there have been no major setbacks with the hand, just a revision in the timetable.

"It just needed more time," Staal said. "It was just a long healing process, a lot longer than I expected. That's the way things go. I'm glad it's starting to feel better now."

Staal remained on the ice for about an hour. He has shed the brace that restricted a few of his fingers and just had the hand wrapped under a glove. He stickhandled, took shots, participated in drills and worked on a penalty-killing unit with fellow forward Craig Adams. He did not skate in line rushes.

The article points out that he was on the verge of making his season debut when he got the broken hand, so he said he wants to be cautious in this comeback.

"It's a big step," he said of getting back to practice. "A few days ago, I jumped on the ice and started shooting, and it started to feel really good, so I took a big jump to start skating with the guys and start getting the feel of the team game and getting my hands back and my legs back."

The Edmonton Journal writes that after signing a two-way $500,000 free-agent contract with the Canucks this past summer, Jeff Tambellini is playing and producing. Not much was expected of him, but he always had the skills and Tambellini has taken advantage of the opportunity.

“I knew we were getting a skilled offensive player, a guy with really good speed. I thought he could be useful, somewhere on our top offensive lines,” said Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault. “He’s also shown a willingness to go to the tougher areas. He’s been rewarded for it.”

Tambellini knew that finding a role on the Canucks with Raymond and Mikael Samuelsson in the picture on the second line was a tough chore, but he also is a student of history.

“There’s a ton of these sort of stories (high draft picks moving to other teams),” said Tambellini. “Look at (Benoit) Pouliot getting traded for (Guillaume) Latendresse last year. They both needed a change of scenery.

“Both teams were looking for a different style of player.”

The Journal points out that when the Canucks called six months ago, he almost dropped the phone. They weren’t even on his radar. He thought they had enough talent up front.

“But they traded (Steve) Bernier and (Michael) Grabner (to Florida for defenceman Keith Ballard. That opened up some spots,” said Tambellini, who had a very strong camp, but was sent to the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose.

But when Raymond got hurt and Samuelsson struggled, there suddenly was room on the roster.

The San Jose Mercury News writes that their Christmas break behind them, the Sharks will be looking to extend their season-high winning streak to five games tonight against the Los Angeles Kings. Until that last victory -- a convincing 4-1 win Thursday over the Phoenix Coyotes -- San Jose had been getting the job done lately without much offensive production from the players counted on the most: Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley.

That changed in a game that saw Thornton and Marleau accumulate three points each and Heatley pick up one. But even before that, the high-powered forwards were not coming under fire in recent weeks from coach Todd McLellan.

"We still need them to produce offensive points, but I evaluate them as a whole," McLellan said last week. "Jumbo's backcheck has been very good. We can see Patty's game coming. You can see how much more effective he's been the last five or six games than he was prior to that."

Heatley, the coach added, "has had looks at open nets, he's had cross-crease one-timers -- eventually they have to go in."

McLellan had singled out Marleau in early December, noting he had not been driving the net enough or maintaining a presence near the crease. That, too, changed against Phoenix, but Marleau's two goals were his first in 11 games; Thornton's tally was his first in nine; Heatley has gone four games without a goal and has one in his past nine games.

Collectively, the three scored 103 goals last season. This year, they are on pace for a combined 82.

The News points out that the Sharks have been relying on rookie Logan Couture and forward Ryane Clowe for much of their offense in December. But, both Couture and McLellan are quick to point out, the big three have had at least an indirect role in the success of others.

"Sometimes they open up ice for other people just by drawing checkers and the top defensemen," McLellan said. "So it's all part of the team's performance."

Couture, whose 18 goals top all Sharks, attributes part of his success to the fact he hasn't been facing the opposition's top defensive players. And, no, that didn't change against Phoenix, even though he and Clowe came up empty-handed.

Thornton, Marleau and Heatley "have done it for so many years it would be dumb for teams not to put their best checkers on them," Couture said.

The Buffalo News notes that the Sabres will play their first game without the gone-for-the-season Derek Roy tonight in the Scotiabank Saddledome against the Calgary Flames and then move on to Edmonton to meet the Oilers on Tuesday in Rexall Place.

General Manager Darcy Regier told The News Sunday that Roy could have surgery on his torn quad muscle as soon as today but no later than Wednesday. Recovery time is 4-6 months. The team's top centre suffered the injury on a hit Thursday night by Florida's Dmitry Kulikov. Roy went down and the knee took blunt-force trauma at the bottom of the boards.

"Derek was certainly at the forefront of our offense," Regier said. "It's obviously a loss and a hole in the lineup, there's no question. For the club, it's an opportunity for others to step forward and we'll need them to step forward."

The Sabres are 12th in the East and eight points out of a playoff spot. Without their No. 1 offensive threat, their playoff hopes look like a long shot at best. It leaves Regier with the interesting dilemma of deciding whether a deal can be made to get an offensive talent added to the roster -- or if it's time to start selling assets.

But the GM was adamant Sunday those kind of discussions are premature.

"We're still looking at the playoffs and believe we can make it," Regier said. "This is a challenge for our club and it should be embraced. It should be rallied around. It can be if you have the right approach. You can have fun with it."

The News believes that with Roy gone and Tim Connolly still out after nose surgery, it's easy to say the Sabres have the worst corps of centres in the entire league. Connolly practiced Sunday and Regier said he looked good but didn't think he would be able to play yet.

Luke Adam moves up from healthy scratch to the lineup. The other centres are Jochen Hecht, Paul Gaustad and Rob Niedermayer. Together, they have seven goals on the season -- with Niedermayer yet to score in 26 games. Niedermayer, however, seems to be getting healthy after surgery on the knee last month and clearly played his best game as a Sabre on Thursday night.

The Calgary Herald, ahead of tonight's Sabres/ Flames tilt, observes that Tyler Myers set quite a standard for himself during his National Hockey League rookie season with the Buffalo Sabres.

"Because it was so high, I was feeling pressure coming into the season," admitted the six-foot-eight defenceman, following Sunday's practice at the Scotiabank Saddledome. "It definitely was a rough start for me.

"After last year, I put a lot of pressure on myself but, as of late, the last 10 games or so, I've felt a lot more comfortable with my play. I'm moving in the direction I want to, starting to get back to playing like I did last year and trying to exceed that, so it's been good of late."

Now, after 35 games in his sophomore season and with five goals among 15 points, he's once again one of the prime players on an injury-riddled team that is struggling to claw back into the Eastern Conference playoff race.

The Herald points out that in many ways, this Sabres lineup has been singing some of the same tunes as the Calgary Flames in that it often digs a hole before snapping to attention only to fall short of victory. In their last pre-Christmas game, a loss to Florida in which they also lost leading sniper Derek Roy to a severe arm injury, they fell behind 3-0 before falling short in a rally that saw them outshoot the Panthers almost 2-1.

"Specifically, we haven't started games the way we want to," said Myers. "Our last game was an example of how we sit back at the start of the game, wait and see, then we come out in the second and third with probably our best two periods of the year . . . it goes to show you that you have to play a full 60 if you want to win hockey games.

"That's one thing we've focused on. We know we have to be better, we know we have to string some wins together if we want to keep pushing for a playoff spot."

The Denver Post writes that skill and toughness will be added to the Avalanche lineup tonight, with Milan Hejduk embodying the former and Cody McLeod the latter.

Each beset by groin injuries of late, Hejduk and McLeod were pronounced ready to play again after Sunday's post-Christmas return to practice at the Family Sports Center.

"It took a little longer than I expected," said Hejduk, who missed seven games, "but that's the way it went."

Hejduk, who will skate on a line with Matt Duchene and Tomas Fleischmann against the Detroit Red Wings tonight, suffered his injury in Atlanta on what he said was a poor ice surface. He said ice conditions also were suspect the previous two games in Florida and Tampa Bay, leading to questions of standards throughout the NHL.

"I don't know if there's anything they can do about it. But when the ice is bad, it gets worse real quick. You can push off the wrong way in bad ice, and then you're hurt," said Hejduk, who had 31 points in 28 games before the injury.

The Post points out that while some Avs players — including Duchene recently — have complained about ice conditions at the Pepsi Center, Hejduk said he has never had problems with it.

"Out of all the places in the league, I like it the most, actually," he said. "It's a big deal to play on good ice. When you can just glide and not have to sink in too deep to the ice, it makes for better play, I think."

Avs coach Joe Sacco agreed.

"I think it depends on how busy the building is. You'd like to see good ice just for the overall product of the game. There's a lot of skill out there, and obviously the better the ice the more skill there is, and it's easier to showcase the talent," Sacco said.

The New York Post reports that Marian Gaborik is expected to return tonight from the groin soreness that sidelined him from the 4-3 shootout defeat against Tampa Bay while Mats Zuccarello will be recalled from the AHL Whale to play his second straight.

Tortorella said he didn't know whether Gaborik would skate on the first unit with Derek Stepan and Brandon Dubinsky or whether Zuccarello would remain on the line where he played on Thursday. Gaborik could play with Erik Christensen and Sean Avery (until they're inevitably benched), but it seems a stretch to move the team's most accomplished goal-scorer and lone game-breaker (again) in order to accommodate the rookie.

The coach said he's giving Zuccarello another look because of the way he played against the Lightning, which is the same explanation he gave for sticking with Gilroy for a second straight rather than inserting Del Zotto. Del Zotto missed the last game with the flu, but will be a healthy scratch tonight.

"I thought Gilroy has been playing pretty well and was one of our better ones [against Tampa Bay]," Tortorella said. "So I'm going to go with the same [defense]."

The coach was asked whether that call was also intended to send a message to Del Zotto, who coughed up the puck behind his own net leading to a critical goal-against while going minus-three in Philadelphia on Dec. 18, his last game.

"He should get the message by being out as a coach's decision," Tortorella said. "I still think he's going to be a really big part of our core, I know he's going to be, but this isn't really a negative on Michael, it's just a process he has to go through."

Del Zotto told The Post this: "You're not going to be perfect every game, but you can't keep making the same mistakes all the time and expect to play. It's not all fun and games in this league. It's a business where not everything is going to go your way all the time.

"I'm taking it all in and learning. I still have a long way to go."

The Dallas Morning News notes that the Stars' defensive duo of Stephane Robidas and Nicklas Grossman was initially a stopgap pairing. That was early in the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs when Sergei Zubov was sidelined.

They've mostly been together ever since. The 5-11, 190-pound French-Canadian veteran cut loose by three NHL teams and the 6-3, 227-pound Swedish youngster have morphed into the team's stoppers in the back. Not only five-on-five, but on penalty kills.

Marc Crawford inherited the arrangement put together a year earlier by Dave Tippett, who brought his Phoenix Coyotes to American Airlines Center last night. It didn't take the new Stars coach long to decide he'd leave Robidas-Grossman intact.

"They're comfortable together," Crawford said. "It's a guy that skates and is pretty good with the offensive side of the game [Robidas] and a guy that's very strong defensively [Grossman]."

The Morning News writes that Robidas, 33, is gaining acclaim across the league for his two-way play, demonstrated when he excelled in Canada's camp before the 2010 Olympics. With three goals and 16 assists, he's on pace to break his career high of 41 points set last season.

Grossman said Robidas' biggest influence is his attitude.

"To see him battling out there makes me want to raise my level," Grossman said. "Whether it's a practice or a game, he's always determined, wanting to get better. He's one of the older guys on the team, but you still see the fire in his eyes to improve."

Michigan Live says that on a night when the Detroit Red Wings turned in one of their best defensive performances of the season they lost one of their top offensive players this season.

Danny Cleary scored his team-leading 16th goal Sunday in the first period. It proved to be the game-winner in Detroit’s 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. But Cleary suffered a fractured left ankle in the third period when he was hit by teammate Brad Stuart’s shot. He will be out at least four weeks.

”I was hoping (it was) a bad bruise,’’ Cleary, who was limping badly after the game, said. “I didn’t know what was going on. It was sore. I knew after the game something was wrong.’’

According to Michigan Live, Cleary took a couple of shifts after getting hit, not realizing the damage that was done. X-rays showed that it’s a non-displaced fracture that won’t require surgery. He’ll be put in a walking cast and will remain with the team for the rest of the three-game road trip.

It’s a crushing blow for Cleary, who was well on his way to his best season.

”I’m real upset about it,’’ Cleary said. “(After) 4-5 weeks, make sure I get back to playing the way I was.’’

According to The Miami Herald, Evgeny Dadonov said he was a little perplexed on why he continually got passed over as he watched his teammates at Florida's AHL affiliate in Rochester, N.Y., get promoted to the big club. Dadonov was Florida's last call-up of the 2009-10 season, getting in the final four games. This season, Dadonov waited until Florida gave him the call Dec. 6.

Looks like the Panthers have been impressed with the Russian winger's play.

Dadonov, who has both of his two-point NHL games in Florida's past four, has been strong of late. Dadonov has two goals and five assists in his past five games. On Sunday, found himself playing on Florida's top line with Chris Higgins (two goals Thursday at Buffalo) and centre Stephen Weiss (five goals and six assists in his past eight games).

"He's given us everything we've asked for,'' DeBoer said. "When I see the player out here with us, I'm surprised that hasn't translated to bigger numbers in Rochester. That's the reason he hasn't been up; he hasn't brought the production down there based on what we've seen with his talent up here.

"Maybe he's one of those guys who is a better NHL player than a minor-league one. The way he's playing, it's hard to take him out of our lineup.''

The Herald reports that Rostislav Olesz (broken finger), Radek Dvorak (shoulder) and Cory Stillman (back) may play Friday evening against the Habs.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune relays that rookie defencemen Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella weren't planning on doing much on Christmas. Neither had family in town, both are living in hotels. They are playing with the Wild, but you never know when a personnel decision could send them back to Houston of the AHL.

So their Christmas was looking pretty bleak, at least until veteran teammate Matt Cullen, on the plane flight back from a victory in Colorado Thursday, invited both to his Twin Cities home for the holiday.

"It felt like a family for a day," Spurgeon said.

Cullen is a Minnesota native who has enjoyed the benefits of playing near his hometown of Moorhead. He knows what it's like to be a young player playing a long way from home. He did it as a rookie in Anaheim.

"When you're starting out it's never fun," Cullen said. "It's nice to get 'em out of the hotel, over for dinner, and it was fun for us."

The Star-Tribune points out that Matt, his wife and three boys were there. Younger brother Mark, rehabbing an injury suffered during training camp with Florida, was there with his family, which includes two boys. The Cullen parents were there, too.

Cullen has flooded his backyard and built a hockey rink, so all the kids and the players spent time on the ice together.

"The kids got to play with Minnesota Wild players on the outdoor rink, so that was pretty cool for them," Cullen said.

After that, everyone went tobogganing.

"It was good family time," Scandella said. "We played some pond hockey and had a nice little dinner there. It was fun."

The Nashville Tennessean writes that during Sunday's morning skate, Nashville Coach Barry Trotz expressed "concern" for Predators forward Steve Sullivan. Nashville's leading scorer made the trip to St. Louis, but not to play. He was in town to see a doctor in regards to his lower-body injury, suffered in the third period of Nashville's loss to Ottawa last Thursday.

"You're always concerned because a lot of our team speed is out right now and he has been a factor for us the last couple of years," Trotz said. "So I'm a little bit concerned."

Trotz said that Sullivan saw the doctor during the Predators' loss to St. Louis, but did not have an update on his status following the game.

Forward Martin Erat (upper-body) did not make the trip. Trotz sounded hopeful that Erat would return for Tuesday's game against Dallas. The Predators called up Linus Klasen, the leading scorer for the Milwaukee Admirals. It was Klasen's second NHL game. His first game came on a call-up against Detroit on Oct. 30. He was put on a line with Marcel Goc and Sergei Kostitsyn.

"Sergei is a guy who holds the puck too and can make plays in time and space," Klasen said.

"We try to help each other out. It was the first game together. If we keep playing together, we're going to get better."

The Tennessean also reports that David Legwand, who has played two periods since suffering a lower-body on Nov. 18, traveled with the team to St. Louis and skated during Nashville's morning practice. He sounded optimistic that he would return for Tuesday's game against Dallas.

"It's good to get back and good to get with the guys. Hopefully (I'll be back) the next game. We'll see how it responds today and go from there," Legwand said.

JR, from Mississauga: "Hey Chris, with 18 points and a minus 12 rating and 34 games into the Maple Leaf campaign, it seems Phil Kessel's season is starting to resemble one not worth remembering. Would you drop him to activate Hossa from IR and keep guys like Sergie Bobrovsky, Anthony Stewart, Bryan Little, Alexander Frolov and Todd Bertuzzi, filpulla? I also have Chris Stewart on IR and my roster really has nobody to drop. I'm in a 8 team league; 1pt/goal and assist, +/-, .10/shot on goal, .25/pm. What is your advice? Thanks."

Chris: JR, in eight-team leagues you'll often find pretty decent guys on the waiver wire. That said, you have other guys I'd much rather drop than Kessel. Especially with an extra incentive for guys who shoot. Goal scorers can get hot so quickly, so I'd be much more inclined to drop someone like Frolov (hot lately, but... it's Frolov) or Bertuzzi (fairly cool, but decent overall) or even Filppula (hit or miss). Bobrovsky has to stay and you'll certainly want to activate both Hossa now and Stewart when ready. Personally, I'd give Kessel the most leash of all of those forwards that are on the cusp.

Darren in St. Louis: "no nichols christmas poem?? sad face. Awesome work as always but for what its worth, i miss the q and a blogs. i hope you had a merry christmas and have a happy new year. lets go blues! ps i would like oshie, perron, and andy mac for christmas please."

Chris: I had a great few days off and all the best to you too Darren. Yeah, this was the first year in awhile I didn't run a "'Twas The Night" poem on the 24th, but I'd imagine it'll be back next season.

In terms of the Q&A blogs, anyone can still ask questions during the weekdays... either via email or Twitter. Just no concentrated Q&A blogs because more people can take away something from the Hockey Hearsay format.

Here's to a healthier 2011 for your Blues...