#njdevils Adam Larsson’s timing might turn out to be perfect – or close to it. The Devils defenseman is close to being ready to return from the mumps just as the team got news today that rookie blueliner Damon Severson will be out four to five weeks with a hairline fracture in his left ankle. Severson, 20, had been trying to play through ankle soreness since being hit with a shot on Dec. 6 against Washington. Devils coach Pete DeBoer called Severson’s injury “a big loss on the ice. “But I think it also is a testament to his character the fact he’s been playing with it the length of time he’s played with it,” DeBoer said. “So, it shows you how bad the guys want to stay in the lineup and contribute and the lengths theyre willing to go to to do that.” Larsson hasn’t played since Dec. 2 in Pittsburgh, but resumed skating on Saturday and was on the ice with the team for its morning skate Wednesday and today’s optional practice. Larsson skated hard at the end of today’s practice with the assistant coaches as he continued to build back up his conditioning. Larsson did nothing more than walk around his apartment more than a week after he became ill, but said he feels good physically now and ready to play Friday night against Tampa Bay if needed. “I feel like I’m a coach’s decision right now,” Larsson said. “If they want me to play tomorrow, I feel comfortable doing that. If not, I’ll just wait.” While Larsson was still on the ice, DeBoer said, “He’s getting closer. It’s the day to day is the best way I can term it.” The Devils saw with Travis Zajac, who returned from the mumps in Monday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Islanders, that he initially had good energy, but then experienced a bit of a drop-off in Wednesday’s 2-0 loss to Ottawa. “I thought he was really good, he had good jump, the first game,” DeBoer said. “I thought he took a little bit of step back energy-wise yesterday, which is natural considering the time. But, he’s looked good.” *** With a lack of healthy experienced depth on the defense, the Devils signed Mark Fraser to a one-year, two-way contract (prorated NHL minimum salary of $550,000) and placed him on waivers today. If he clears waivers without being claimed by another team at noon on Friday, Fraser will be re-assigned to Albany of the AHL, where he has been playing since signing an AHL deal on Nov. 2. On an AHL deal, Fraser was ineligible to play on the NHL. Now, calling him up would be an option for the Devils (if he isn’t claimed by another team). Fraser, 28, has one goal, two assists and 23 penalty minutes in 12 AHL games with Albany this season. He also was suspended for three games for an illegal check to the head vs. Portland on Nov. 14. Fraser was a Devils’ 2005 third-round draft pick and is a veteran of 185 career NHL regular season games with the Devils, Toronto and Edmonton. He split last season between Toronto and Edmonton and then went unsigned as an unrestricted free agent this past summer. *** Center Jacob Josefson is questionable for Friday’s game after tweaking his groin when he fell in the boards during Wednesday’s 2-0 loss to Ottawa. “I kind of got hit a little from behind and then I don’t know if I slid weird and went weird into the boards or something like that,” he said. “After that I felt kind of weird.” Josefson said his groin “hurt a little bit” after that, “but I was warm so I was able to finish the game.” When he went on the ice to test it during today’s optional practice, however, it still didn’t feel right, so he came off after only five minutes. “I didn’t feel 100 percent, so we played it safe,” he said. Josefson said he will “hopefully” be able to play Friday. If Josefson is unable to play Friday, the Devils will be short a forward unless Mike Cammalleri or Dainius Zubrus is healthy enough to dress. Cammalleri has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury he suffered Saturday in Dallas, but has skated on his own the last two days. Cammalleri walked through the locker room today and was not permitted to speak to the media, but did not appear to be limping, so that was a good sign. He limped off to the locker room when he left in the second period Saturday. Zubrus has missed the last five games with cuts on his left knee, but skated on his own today. Although Zubrus was placed on injured reserve today, he is eligible to be activated at any time because the move was made retroactive to his last game on Dec. 8. *** Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid said they had not been told yet which of them will start Friday night. DeBoer said it is “possible” the two goalies will split the back-to-back home games against Tampa Bay and Washington. *** The Devils decided to cancel their annual holiday visits to area hospitals as a precaution following the mumps outbreak that has impacted two of their players so far – Larsson and Zajac – and 13 other NHL players. The Islanders were among the other NHL teams to also cancel their planned hospital visits. GM Lou Lamoriello said the team will do the visits later in the season after it is clear the mumps scare has passed and it’s longer a health concern for the children the players would be visiting. “It’s something we have done every single year and we will do it after,” Lamoriello said “Once we’re totally everybody cleared, we’ll do it. It’s just simply not worth it. You can’t take a chance.” “It’s for the health of children. No one wants to get them sick,” Schneider said. “It’s too bad, though. The hospital visits are always fun.” *** The Albany Devils returned right wing Myles Bell to Evansville of the ECHL today. Bell had no points in two AHL games with Albany.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 21:24:46 +0000
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