Heard a staggering statistic the other day.  Currently 18% of NHL players are injured.  Not only do there seem to be more injuries this season than in years past, but also to more star players than usual.  In most drafts Capitals Winger Alexander Ovechkin and Penguins Center Evgeni Malkin went one/two, yet they have been on the shelf for all of November.  Although neither one of these two has one, concussions seem to be the popular injury of this season.  How can the NHL prevent these?  I’m not sure it’s possible.  Let’s face it; you have players skating around at impressive speeds with other players trying to hit them into next week.  Their heads can meet a shoulder, the boards, the glass, and even the ice.  Why do there seem to be more head injuries now than in the past?  Players today are bigger, stronger, and faster than their predecessors, yet the rink size has stayed the same.  Of course the owners should make the rinks bigger, but we all know they won’t.  The first immediate solution would be to make it illegal for any kind of hit to the head, including ones that come from an opponent’s shoulder.  There is just no reason for it.  I understand it would cost a small fortune to increase rink size, so we can start small with something that costs nothing.

Speaking of Malkin, he is skating in practice, though wearing a non-contact jersey.  He is hoping to return to the Penguins shortly.  The Penguins could certainly use him as their offense has disappeared of late.  The Penguins also lost defenseman Kris Letang for a few weeks with a shoulder injury.  Initially Letang was thought to be lost for quite a while longer, but there is no dislocation or separation, only a contusion, so he should be back in a couple of weeks.

Islander Goalie Rick Dipietro, remember him, the one with the 15 year contract, has started practicing again with the club.  He is still should be begin rehabbing in the AHL in about two weeks, with a return to the island a couple of weeks after that.  The question is what will the Isles do once Dipietro returns?  They signed Goalies Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron in the off-season, and Dipietro will make three.  Someone would seem to have to go.  You know it won’t be Dipietro with that contract.  Roloson is 40 years of age with a two-year contract, so he would seem to be out, Biron would seem to be the most likely one to get dealt and one has to believe General Manager Garth Snow is already on the phone with possible suitors.

Peter Forsberg has been playing in Sweden, and is starting to let it known that he would like to return to the NHL.  Forsberg seems to be the NHLs answer to Brett Favre, someone who threatens to retire every season, but just can’t stay away.  Who could be interested in Forsberg?  He is said to be looking for $4 million.  The Rangers could use a center, especially now with Chris Drury out with a concussion and Brandon Dubinsky out with a broken hand.  How about the Flyers, who have courted him in the past, Simon Gagne is out for another 6-8 weeks after undergoing two surgeries for hernias.  The Red Wings could certainly use the help with the myriad of injuries they have.  How about the Canucks?  They did lose Mats Sundin.  In short, there won’t be any shortage of teams that would like his services.

Canucks Winger Daniel Sedin who has been out the past few weeks with a broken bone in his foot suffered a small setback on Monday when after the first practice he had with the team, the foot was extremely sore.  Where it looked like he could make his return on Thursday, the Canucks have announced that he won’t play again until they return from their road trip, late next week.