"It feels good," Dubinsky said of his forthcoming return, according to the Columbus Dispatch's Steve Gorten. "I had to deal with some, some medical issues for myself. It’s nice to be back in practice and have the opportunity to try to play tomorrow.
"We talked before that (optional) practice (Tuesday in Las Vegas), agreed on some stuff and I came home to look after myself. I had some stuff going on and I just had to take care of it."
Dubinsky hasn't suited up for the Blue Jackets since breaking his orbital bone in a scrap with Edmonton Oilers tough guy Zack Kassian on Dec. 13, but said he'll be back in the lineup "1000 percent" by Friday the latest.
However, the biggest questions surrounding Dubinsky have still gone mostly unanswered, as the specifics behind his medical issue were never fully provided.
"You guys can speculate all you want. That’s up to you," Dubinsky said. "I’m telling you what I’m going to tell you. We’re people too. We have stuff that is private to us and we want to keep that way. So that’s just the way it’s going to be."
Columbus returns to action Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild, followed by games against the San Jose Sharks and New York Islanders on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
The Winnipeg Jets will start the second half of the NHL campaign without one of their top defenseman, as Jacob Trouba will be out six-to-eight weeks with a lower-body injury, head coach Paul Maurice announced Monday.
Trouba suffered the injury near the end of Winnipeg's most recent contest, a shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.
Through 50 games, Trouba has been an absolute workhorse, racking up three goals and 17 assists in 22:10 of ice time per night while anchoring Maurice's top defensive unit alongside upstart rearguard Josh Morrissey.
Winnipeg sits one point clear of the Nashville Predators for the Central Division lead, but with injuries to key players mounting, the Jets' depth will be put to the test over the next couple of months.
Jagr was placed on waivers Sunday, subsequently cleared waivers earlier Monday, and became eligible to be assigned to his home club in the Czech Republic - a team Jagr also co-owns.
"I want to thank Brad Treliving and the Calgary Flames for giving me the immense opportunity to be a part of their team and continue my NHL career this season," Jagr said in a team release.
"Although I am very disappointed that things did not turn out as we had hoped due to a number of circumstances, I am deeply grateful to the Flames, the fans and the City of Calgary for having welcomed me so generously. I now look forward to continuing the season in Kladno."
Now that Jagr has officially cleared waivers and been assigned, his contract comes off of Calgary's books for the remainder of the season, according to Cap Friendly.
With Jaromir Jagr's cap hit being below the $1.025M cutoff, any loan executed by the #Flames (minor league or to a club of any other league affiliated with the NHL), would result in Jagr's remaining cap hit coming off of Calgary's salary cap for the balance of the season.
In what was potentially his last attempt at sticking in the NHL, Jagr was a disappointment this season for the Flames, registering only one goal and six assists in just over 13 minutes of ice time per night.
Brian Gionta is getting a chance to get back into game action.
The former Buffalo Sabres captain, who's been named to Team USA's roster for the upcoming Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, has signed a one-game tryout with the Rochester Americans, the Sabres' AHL affiliate.
"Brian has been practicing with us on a regular basis since early in the season," Americans general manager Randy Sexton said in a statement. "These practices were part of his preparation for the Olympics and, given the Olympics are just around the corner, a game was the final tuneup for him to get ready to captain the U.S. Olympic team."
The veteran forward is expected to dress for Friday's contest against the Toronto Marlies. It will mark Gionta's first game since last April when he was part of the Sabres, and his first AHL appearance since the 2004-05 season.
A native of Rochester, Gionta has previously represented the United States internationally on six occasions, most recently at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Team USA's first game in PyeongChang comes Feb. 14 against Slovenia.
After taking home MVP honors in the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks freshman picked up another accolade Monday, as he was named the first star of the week.
In two games, Boeser picked up a pair of goals, with both tallies coming against the Los Angeles Kings. It brought his total to 24 goals on the year, the most among NHL rookies.
Sabres forward Jack Eichel is the second star of the week after he netted five points in three games, including an overtime winner against the Calgary Flames and a four-point night versus the Edmonton Oilers.
Eichel's teammate and Sabres netminder Robin Lehner was named the third star of the week after posting back-to-back shutouts over the Oilers and Canucks. Lehner combined for 63 saves in the two contests.
Jaromir Jagr has reportedly cleared waivers and the balance of his contract with the Calgary Flames is expected to be assigned to Czech club Kladno, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.
This likely signals the end of the legendary forward's NHL career. It took until nearly the end of last summer for Jagr to come to terms on his one-year, $1-million contract with the Flames.
Limited to 22 games with Calgary, Jagr added a goal and six assists to his career point total of 1,921, which is second in league history after Wayne Gretzky (2,857).
Jagr's also set to finish 34 games shy of Gordie Howe's all-time games played record of 1,767.
Drafted fifth overall by Pittsburgh in 1990, Jagr recorded 766 goals and 1,155 assists with nine teams, and won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins (1991, 1992). He also won five Art Ross Trophies, three Ted Lindsays Awards, the Hart Trophy and the Bill Masterton Trophy.
Jagr is a co-owner and team president of Kladno, the Czech team based in his hometown, and he's now free to play for his country at PyeonChang 2018.
On Monday, the club announced it will play 12 home games at Nassau Coliseum next season, with the remainder to be played at Barclays Center, its current home in Brooklyn.
The 2019-20 season will then see the Islanders split their home schedule between the two arenas.
The Islanders previously played out of Nassau Coliseum between their formation in 1972 and their move to Brooklyn in 2015.
However, a host of issues at Barclays Center, including poor ice conditions and a section of seating that offered obstructed views - in addition to a hard-to-reach arena for fans coming from Nassau County - left the team searching for a new home.
In December, the team's bid was selected to build an arena in Belmont Park, about eight miles west of Nassau Coliseum. The hope is that it will be ready in time for the 2021-22 season.
Nassau Coliseum has undergone extensive renovations since the Islanders left, which reduced seating capacity to 13,000, but the old barn appears to be a temporary solution as the team awaits its new home.
Making his All-Star debut, the Vancouver Canucks rookie forward proved he truly belongs among the NHL's elite. He won the accuracy shooting challenge, was part of the tournament-champion Pacific squad, and was named the event's Most Valuable Player to boot, all of which left him with an extra $551,000 in his pocket.
What he will keep is a nine-week-old puppy he adopted after the All-Stars participated in a photoshoot with the Humane Society of Tampa. According to Russo, Boeser fell in love with a German Shepherd-Husky mix named Cider, and his mother took the pup back to the family home for the time being.
On top of the cash, a car, and a canine, Boeser could be in line to add another 'C' to his resume: the Calder Trophy, as the NHL's top rookie this season.
theScore's NHL Power Rankings are published every other Monday. Our seventh installment is put together by National Sports Editor James Bisson.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning (34-12-3)
With apologies to the Golden Knights (who are without a doubt the greatest story in the NHL this decade), the Tampa Bay Lightning have earned this spot. They've been dominant both at home and on the road, and they lead the league in goal differential. If they can get their penalty kill in order, they should remain favorites for the Presidents' Trophy.
2. Vegas Golden Knights (32-12-4)
Well, that was a fun first half! Not only do questions about Vegas' playoff chances seem ridiculous, they're overwhelming -300 favorites to win the division, according to Bet365. Yet, like the Lightning, they have their own special-teams issue to work on - specifically, that 21st-ranked power play. If they get that going, there's nothing stopping them from reaching the final.
3. Boston Bruins (29-10-8)
It isn't that Brad Marchand overshadowed his team's incredible 18-game points streak by picking up a five-game ban for elbowing in last week's win over New Jersey. It's that, despite becoming one of the most gifted offensive players in the league, he still can't control his limbs. Boston is a great team, but needs Marchand in the lineup - not in street clothes.
4. Winnipeg Jets (29-13-8)
You can't blame Jets fans for believing their team should be higher on this list - and in two weeks, it almost certainly will be. Winnipeg has played more road games (29) than any team in the league - that's about to change in a big way, with a 10-game homestand(!) after the break. The pride of Portage Avenue could very well be No. 1 by the next set of rankings.
5. Nashville Predators (29-11-7)
With Vegas the league darling and Winnipeg generating plenty of attention, the Predators have taken a backseat in the Hype-mobile - and that's probably just fine with them. Nashville and Boston are the only teams in the league to rank in the top 10 in goals for, goals against, power-play conversion, and penalty killing success rate. And the Predators haven't even hit their offensive stride.
6. St. Louis Blues (30-18-3)
The Blues have put their December swoon behind them, going into the break with four wins in five games thanks largely to sensational goaltending from Carter Hutton. And, with Jaden Schwartz back in the fold, look for them to remain on the periphery of the top five; they're 17-3-1 so far this season in games in which the talented winger records a point.
7. Washington Capitals (29-15-5)
On one hand, the Capitals have been one of the busier teams in the NHL, going to extra time in nine of their previous 16 games. But with three separate breaks of three or more days off in January alone - not counting its six-day All-Star stoppage - Washington shouldn't suffer any ill effects. That said, the Caps don't get another three-day break until the end of February.
8. Toronto Maple Leafs (28-18-5)
Are the Maple Leafs turning a corner? It would certainly appear so, as they took seven out of eight points over their final four road games ahead of the break - and looked good doing so. Squeaky wheel Frederik Andersen certainly helped the cause with solid goaltending, and the Toronto power play has creaked back to life with goals in three of its past four games.
9. Calgary Flames (25-16-8)
Seeing Calgary limp into the break with four straight Ls can't feel good for fans - but with each of those losses generating a point, the Flames enter the second half with points in 11 straight games (7-0-4). They can only hope that momentum isn't wiped out by the time off, with home games against league leaders Vegas and Tampa Bay to kick off the second half of the season.
10. Dallas Stars (28-18-4)
While the Stars have absolutely feasted on the East - going 12-5-4 to date - they're running out of games against that conference. And of particular concern moving forward is a dismal 7-10-0 showing against Central Division rivals. The good news: they'll play four of their next five divisional matchups at home, where they are an impressive 17-7-1 so far.
11. San Jose Sharks (26-15-7)
If it feels like the Sharks have been on the road a lot, you're right - they played nine of their final 13 pre-break games away from San Jose, going 4-3-2 in those contests. And in a strange scheduling quirk, they'll travel for 10 of their next 15 games, as well. If they can survive that brutal spate, they should be in great shape for a home-heavy final stretch.
12. Pittsburgh Penguins (27-21-3)
In a development that should scare the Dickens out of the rest of the Eastern Conference, the Penguins are starting to look a lot like a team that has captured back-to-back titles, winning eight of 11 so far this month while humbling teams with their league-best power play. And they're getting great goaltending from unheralded Casey DeSmith (3-2-0, 2.08 GAA, .927 SV%).
13. Minnesota Wild (26-18-5)
The Wild have quietly crept out of the Central Division cellar on the strength of an 8-3-2 stretch since the end of December. The key to Minnesota's surge? Consistentscoring, potting four or more goals in six of eight victories over that stretch. They also have a nice schedule coming out of the break, with six of their first nine games at Xcel Energy Center.
14. Colorado Avalanche (27-18-3)
That 10-game winning streak will show up on plenty of end-of-season highlight lists - but the sobering reality for the Avalanche is things are about to get a whole lot tougher. In addition to killing the buzz with back-to-back losses going into All-Star weekend, Colorado will play 10 of its next 13 games on the road, where it has gone a dismal 9-11-2 this season.
15. Philadelphia Flyers (24-17-8)
Flyers fans desperately want to believe their team's January showing - 8-3-0 with three overtime wins and a 3-1-0 road mark - is a sign of things to come. But it's Philadelphia's form in those three defeats - all 5-1 drubbings, two of them at home - that forces people to check expectations. The Flyers are, however, trending in the right direction.
16. Columbus Blue Jackets (27-19-3)
Things were a bit tense in the Ohio capital after Brandon Dubinsky left the team for reasons unknown at the time. But after Dubinsky's agent explained the veteran forward was simply getting medical advice for an eye injury, the focus returned to an on-ice product that continues to tread water, having not produced a three-game win streak since late November.
17. Anaheim Ducks (24-17-9)
One of the reasons for the Ducks' modest first-half success has been points in 16 of 24 games played outside Anaheim (10-8-6). That road proficiency will be put to the test after the break, as the Ducks travel for nine of their next 11 games. On the to-do list: Sharpening a wonky penalty-killing unit that has yielded six power-play goals over the past six games.
18. Los Angeles Kings (26-18-5)
Wedged in a group of other teams at 57 points, the Kings deservedly bring up the rear after dropping seven of their final nine games before the break. And as The Hockey News' Jared Clinton astutely points out, things aren't going to get any better if the Kings can't get Anze Kopitar some scoring help. Look for L.A. to acquire some forward depth ahead of the trade deadline.
19. New York Islanders (25-20-5)
While that Golden Knights encounter - aka "The Game With The Over/Under of 7" - ended up fizzling out from an offensive standpoint, the Islanders don't much care. They escaped Sin City with a win, showing rare defensive awareness in the process. This team can score with anyone - and any improvement in defense and goaltending makes it super scary.
20. New Jersey Devils (24-16-8)
It didn't take much to remind the Devils how much they rely on skilled forward Taylor Hall, losing all three games in his absence while scoring just twice. That makes losses in 10 of New Jersey's last 12 games, ensuring it's increasingly likely the Devils will be aggressive in shoring up their scoring situation come trade deadline time.
21. New York Rangers (25-20-5)
The Rangers went into the break on a positive note - ending a three-game skid with a wild 6-5 win in San Jose - but will be put to the test coming out of All-Star weekend. They'll embark on a seven-game stretch (vs. Toronto, at Nashville, at Dallas, vs. Boston, vs. Calgary, at Winnipeg, at Minnesota) that could determine whether they're buying or selling at the deadline.
22. Chicago Blackhawks (23-19-7)
The news is positive regarding injured netminder Corey Crawford, who might travel with the team to Vancouver and Calgary coming out of the break. Crawford hasn't played since a Dec. 23 loss to New Jersey - and Chicago desperately needs him back in the fold, having gone 6-6-1 without him while surrendering four or more goals five times over that stretch.
23. Carolina Hurricanes (22-19-8)
After a promising late-December stretch that made you think the Hurricanesmight have the goaltending to make a playoff run, Carolina's goal prevention has gone right into the tank this month. The Hurricanes have surrendered 3.64 goals per game in January, fifth-most in the league - and when you have just two 15-goal-scorers on your roster through 49 games, that won't cut it.
24. Detroit Red Wings (19-21-8)
You can put the odds of Mike Green being in a Red Wings jersey after the trade deadline at somewhere around zero percent. Green should be an attractive rental option for teams seeking a puck-moving defenseman - and while he enters the break having gone minus-six over his last two games, he should still fetch a decent haul for the still-rebuilding Wings.
25. Montreal Canadiens (20-23-6)
Expect the Canadiens to be active sellers at the deadline, with the offense still stumbling and the goaltending never really coming around after a slow start. And aside from Carey Price, is there anyone you can really rule out for a change of address? GM Marc Bergevin has been one of the busiest trade-deadline dealers, and that should continue this year.
26. Vancouver Canucks (19-24-6)
The Canucks have assets to sell ahead of the deadline, but it appears they're in a holding pattern until the franchise's most famous lookalikes decide on their 2018-19 fate. Daniel and Henrik Sedin reportedly might consider making their plans known prior to the deadline, rather than wait until the end of the season as they originally intended.
27. Florida Panthers (19-22-6)
With a promising young forward corps, the Panthers are well-positioned to make opposing goaltenders miserable for a while. But a wafer-thin blue line behind Aaron Ekblad and dreadful goaltending - exacerbated by injuries to Roberto Luongo and James Reimer - will prevent Florida from making waves in 2017-18. The back end has to be a priority come draft time.
28. Edmonton Oilers (22-24-3)
When a team loses by five goals at home to an opponent 12 points lower in the standings, there's zero benefit of the doubt. And while bringing Paul Coffey on board is a feel-good story for the City of Champions, that isn't going to move the needle this season. The Oilers need help, and lots of it. Look for changes to come after the All-Star break - both on and off the ice.
29. Ottawa Senators (15-23-9)
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion insists star defenseman Erik Karlsson won't be moved this season - and you have to wonder if any of the players that are on the block will bring back enough of a return to get fans excited. The on-ice product certainly isn't doing the trick, as Ottawa continues to play its way into a top-3 pick this spring.
30. Buffalo Sabres (14-26-9)
The Sabres have to be happy with their performance in Western Canada, where they snagged five out of a possible six points. Granted, they're still miles away from playoff contention, but more efforts like this - combined with whatever assets they acquire heading into the trade deadline - should provide a glimmer of optimism for a city getting tired of a never-ending rebuild.
31. Arizona Coyotes (12-29-9)
The Coyotes are still at the bottom of the rankings thanks to the league's second-worst scoring offense (2.3 goals per game) and third-worst defense (3.4 goals against). But with points in eight of 10 games this month - including three out of four earned in two meetings with the Predators - things are getting better. And that's all Arizona fans can really ask for, at this point.
