EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Kings aim to go into the All-Star break on a winning note when they play the Colorado Avalanche at Staples Center on Wednesday (10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, SN1, SNE, SNO, SNW).

The Kings have a seven-point lead on the San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division but don't want to squander points in their final game before their four-day break.

"You've got four or five days to live with the game after and think about it," Kings defenseman Luke Schenn said. "We're not fully comfortable with where we are, so we've got to keep pushing forward. Colorado's a good team with a lot of skill … they're obviously going to rebound and play hard tonight, so it's going to be a really good challenge for us."

Minnesota Wild center Jarret Stoll will have mixed emotions when he returns to Staples Center for the first time Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; SN, FS-N, FS-WI, FS-W) since he left the Los Angeles Kings last season.

"It will be fun. It will be weird," Stoll said. "Seeing the other side of it, going into the visitor's dressing room, going to the visiting bench, or warm-ups on the other side. Stuff like that was so routine, ritual kind of stuff. Everything will be different."

The Kings (29-13-3) plan to recognize Stoll, an integral depth player on their 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup championship teams. He helped them advance to the Western Conference Final three straight seasons, win 10 Stanley Cup Playoff series, and scored the series-clinching overtime goal in the 2012 Western Conference First Round against the Vancouver Canucks.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell is expected to make his NHL debut Tuesday when the Stars play the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center (10:30 p.m. ET; SN, SN1, FS-SW, FS-W).

Lindell. 21, was recalled Monday after Dallas put defenseman Jordie Benn on injured reserve. His 25 points in 42 games with Texas were fourth in scoring among American Hockey League defensemen at the time of his recall.

"I'm excited. I thought in the preseason, in the games, he showed very well," coach Lindy Ruff told the Stars website. "He's a guy that has a little bit of an edge. He plays the game hard and from what I've seen is a good defender."

The Stars, who had their morning skate at Staples Center, will try to break out of a 1-4-2 slump in January. They have lost seven straight road games (0-4-3) and have allowed at least four goals in four of their past six games.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Kyle Quincey will return to the Detroit Red Wings lineup Monday against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center (10:30 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNP, FS-D, FS-W).

Quincey has been out since Oct. 23 because of an injury to his right ankle. He had surgery on the ankle Nov. 14.

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Quincey would play but was not sure which defenseman would come out of the lineup, according to comments posted on the Red Wings' Twitter feed. Defenseman Jakub Kindl, who cleared waivers Sunday, was assigned to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League.

Quincey has one goal and two assists in seven games while averaging 18:59 of ice time per game.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter will return to the lineup Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Staples Center (10:30 p.m. ET; SNO, FS-W), but it's unknown if that will be the limit of the Kings' changes.

Carter took line rushes with left wing Tanner Pearson and right wing Marian Gaborik and left the ice early, as he usually does when he's healthy. Carter has missed five games because of an upper-body injury sustained on the opening faceoff of a Dec. 26 game against the Arizona Coyotes.

It's unknown if center Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn will be in the lineup. They were not in the facility for the morning skate and were expected to undergo physicals and meet with team personnel. Schenn would seem more likely to play even though he has not practiced with the Kings. Lecavalier has not played since Nov. 12.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic could be a game-time decision and right wing Joel Ward is expected to sit out Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN).

Vlasic is questionable with an undisclosed injury. Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said he thought Vlasic would play but might be a game-time decision, according to the San Jose Mercury News. The Sharks held an optional skate at Staples Center and the Kings held their morning skate at their practice facility.

Ward, San Jose's fourth-leading scorer, has an upper-body injury and reportedly said he would like to return after the NHL's Christmas break, which begins Wednesday and runs through Friday.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Vancouver Canucks will be without left wing Chris Higgins and right wing Jake Virtanen when they play the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on Tuesday (10:30 p.m. ET; SNP, FS-W), coach Willie Desjardins told the Canucks website.

Higgins sustained a head injury Monday during a 4-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks and did not participate in an optional morning skate at Staples Center, according to the Vancouver Province. Virtanen sustained an upper-body injury Monday and is day-to-day, Desjardins said.

Vancouver (9-9-7) likely will play seven with defensemen. Defenseman Andrey Pedan reportedly took line rushes as a forward and could make his NHL debut there. Left wing Sven Baertschi will play after he was scratched in two of the previous three games.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Arizona Coyotes center Antoine Vermette will be a game-time decision when Arizona plays the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on Tuesday (10:30 p.m. ET; FS-A, FS-W).

Vermette is recovering from a lower-body injury and Arizona coach Dave Tippett told the Arizona Republic after the Coyotes' morning skate at Staples Center that, "He's got a chance tonight."

Center Dustin Jeffrey replaced Vermette in the Coyotes lineup Monday in a 4-3 in overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks. Goalie Mike Smith is expected to start for the Coyotes. He beat the Kings on Oct. 9 but is 2-6-1 with a 4.33 goals-against average and .860 save percentage in his past nine games.

Kings defenseman Derek Forbort is expected to play for the second straight game. He took line rushes here at Toyota Sports Center with partner Jamie McBain while veteran defenseman Christian Ehrhoff was one of the extras.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar said he will play Thursday when the Kings host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Staples Center (10:30 p.m. ET; FS-O, FS-W).

Kopitar was hit in the face by the butt end of the stick of St. Louis Blues forward Ryan Reaves on Tuesday. Kopitar left the game bleeding in the mouth and there was concern because it was a hit to the head, but he reported no substantial effects after he took part in the morning skate.

"(It's) obviously not the best feeling," Kopitar said. "I'm lucky that it hasn't happened to me before. Maybe that's why (there's) a little bigger concern, because you don't know what you're dealing with. But I went through all the protocol, as you call it. I feel good and the tests are good. I'm good to go for tonight."

Two veteran goalies on hot streaks will be featured Friday when the Los Angeles Kings host the Carolina Hurricanes at Staples Center (10:30 p.m. ET; FS-CR, FS-W).

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick is expected to start after backup Jhonas Enroth made 39 saves in his Los Angeles debut, a 4-1 win Thursday against the San Jose Sharks.

Quick has allowed two or fewer goals in each of his past three games after he allowed nine goals in his first two games. He is 3-1-0 with a 1.72 goals-against average in four starts against Carolina.

Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward is expected to start in the first of back-to-back games for Carolina. He had a 26-save shutout against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.