Chicago forward Dave Bolland appears set to return from a foot injury on Wednesday, with coach Joel Quenneville saying the center is "likely to play" in Vancouver.

Given the opponent, it's hardly surprising.

Bolland has played a leading role in a rivalry with the Canucks that has become one of the NHL's best and most bitter over the last three seasons. The opportunity to return to his rightful place under the skin of identical twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin may have simply been too tempting for the skilled agitator to pass up.

"It's always a temptation when we are playing these guys," said Bolland, who missed the previous three games after blocking a shot against St. Louis on Nov. 8. "If it's just taping a boot to my skate or taping anything that would help you feel better, it's always great playing these guys with the kind of rivalry and the hype and everything that goes into games against Vancouver."

Chicago, which is tied with Pittsburgh atop the NHL standings with 25 points, won't have top-pair defenseman Brent Seabrook for what will be the 33rd meeting between these teams the last three-plus seasons, including three straight playoffs. Seabrook, who suffered a "lower-body injury" Sunday after crashing feet-first into the boards, is on the road trip, but didn't skate the last two days.

Bolland has, but was laboring Monday and on the fourth line during the morning skate Tuesday. That could change if it means going up against the Sedins, because he has been like Kryptonite for the winners of the last two Art Ross Trophies.

Bolland missed the first three games of last spring's first-round playoff meeting and the Sedins combined for 9 points while the Canucks took a 3-0 series lead. But with Bolland back, the twins managed just 3 points and were a combined minus-13 in the final four games, while Bolland had 6 points and was plus-6 on his own.

Sure, the twins combined for 7 points during a 6-2 romp in Chicago on Nov. 6, but as the Blackhawks quickly point out, that game was decided on special teams, with the Sedins doing most of their damage on a man advantage unit that went 5-for-6 (they also set up Jannik Hansen for a tap in on the lone even-strength marker).

"They are tough to contain, they are dangerous in so many ways," Quenneville said, adding he had confidence Markus Kruger could do the job if he stays in Bolland's spot on the third line. "And I don't think you ever feel like you got it nailed out there against those guys but (Bolland has) done a nice job."

Whether Bolland plays against the Sedins, there will be no shortage of animosity between two teams that have grown to openly dislike each other.

Patrick Kane said most of the Blackhawks went their separate ways after the Canucks knocked them out in overtime of Game 7 last season, but got back in touch when the Canucks played -- and lost -- Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins almost two months later.

"It seems a lot of us were texting each other back and forth during Game 7 and a lot of us were pretty happy Vancouver didn't win," Kane said with a smile.

"We'll try to keep them out of that position again this year."

Tonight's projected lineup:

Viktor Stalberg - Jonathan Toews - Marian Hossa
Daniel Carcillo - Patrick Kane - Patrick Sharp
Bryan Bickell - Marcus Kruger - Michael Frolik
Andrew Brunette - Dave Bolland - Jamal Mayers

Duncan Keith - Steve Montador
Niklas Hjalmarsson - Nick Leddy
Sami Lepisto - John Scott

Corey Crawford will start in net and Ray Emery will back him up.

Don't be surprised if Bolland and Kruger flip-flop against the Sedins.

The odd man out is Rostislav Olesz, who Quenneville confirmed has been put on waivers after playing just six of the first 18 games, despite earning $3.4-million this season on a contract with two more years and $8.25-million left on it after this one. Quenneville didn't want to say what might happen to Olesz, who was acquired from Florida in exchange for defenseman Brian Campbell, until the waiver period has passed.

"His opportunity was limited but sometimes you earn opportunity as you go along," he said. "He hasn't produced at the rate -- and I'm not necessarily talking about production but his overall game -- maybe we were looking for."

On defense, Montador moves up to play with Keith, while Lepisto gets his first action in five games alongside  Scott on the third pairing. As for Seabrook, Quennevilel said he is "progressing really well but out tonight."

Dainius Zubrus will play in his 1,000th NHL regular season game tonight when the Devils face the Sabres. The 33-year-old will be the  267th player in League history to accomplish the feat.

"Right now, as I'm playing, I don't look at it as something that’s that big a deal," Zubrus told Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record last week. "You always play in the big picture to win a (Stanley) Cup and I've never done it. But there are things that come with it. I don’t know, when I’m done maybe I’ll look back and I’ll say something different. It's a lot of games, but, for now, it’s nothing that big.

"It might mean more to the people around me -- my parents and my son kind of every now and then mentions it. He's up to speed on those things. For me, I don't know."

Zubrus has divided the games fairly evenly with four teams. He played in 200 games with the Flyers, 139 with the Canadiens, 331 with Capitals and 19 with the Sabres. Zubrus has appeared in 310 games with the Devils entering tonight.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Injuries have forced the Los Angeles Kings to make two tweaks to their lineup for Wednesday night.

Coach Terry Murray doesn't expect there to be much adjustment with the insertion of winger Andrei Loktionov on the second line and defenseman Slava Voynov.

Loktionov, the team's top forward prospect, didn't make the team out of training camp but he played 19 games with the big club last season. Voynov had a terrific camp and was up with the team earlier this season.

"They're going to give us some intense play," Murray said. "There's a point here now, being their third year of pro hockey, they're more understanding of what it is to playing the team game and just come out and play the right way also and get into a situation where you feel you have to do a whole lot to impress.

"It's an opportunity for them to show us they're ready to play in the NHL. If they take that attitude, it suits them best."

Murray switched up the defense pairings and reunited Drew Doughty with Jack Johnson. The two play together on the power play but only played together for a handful of games last season.

"We're somewhat familiar with each other from the power play, but five-on-five is going to be different," Doughty said. 

"I know we're both excited … I don't think there's a better defense pairing, really, in the League that can move the puck like both of us. It's going to be lot of fun."

Doughty also said he's past the shoulder injury that forced him to miss games earlier this season. Doughty helps get the Kings' dormant offense going, and he has 2 goals and 3 assists in his past five games.

"I feel good out there," he said. "(The injury) is not in the back of mind, for the most part. I feel healthy and ready to go."

Tyler Myers, a healthy scratch in the Sabres' 3-2 shootout win against the Canadiens on Monday, will get back into the lineup against the Devils.

The 2010 Calder Trophy winner has struggled this year, posting just 4 assists and a minus-3 rating in 16 games. He'll replace Marc-Andre Gragnani, while Mike Weber will remain in the lineup.

Here's how the lineups could look tonight when the Buffalo Sabres host the New Jerey Devils at First Niagara Center:

DEVILS
Zach Parise - Adam Henrique - Ilya Kovalchuk
Petr Sykora - Patrik Elias - Dainius Zubrus
Nick Palmieri - Ryan Carter - David Clarkson
Vladimir Zharkov - Brad Mills - Cam Janssen

Adam Larsson - Andy Greene
Mark Fayne - Henrik Tallinder
Bryce Salvador - Anton Volchenkov

Martin Brodeur
Johan Hedberg

SABRES
Thomas Vanek - Luke Adam - Jason Pominville
Ville Leino - Derek Roy - Drew Stafford
Nathan Gerbe - Paul Gaustad - Patrick Kaleta
Matt Ellis - Cody McCormick - Brad Boyes

Jordan Leopold - Robyn Regehr
Christian Ehrhoff - Tyler Myers
Mike Weber - Andrej Sekera

Jhonas Enroth
Drew MacIntyre

Niklas Hagman is trying to get an appointment with a consulate in Canada to obtain a work visa to begin playing for the Anaheim Ducks.

Anaheim claimed Hagman, a three-time 20-goal scorer, off re-entry waivers from the Calgary Flames.

Hagman was glad to be in another situation after, he said, his role was diminished in Calgary.

"It was tough because you were watching the games and you feel like you're in good shape and you feel like you've been playing well but still you're sidelined because of so many bodies," Hagman said when he met local reporters Tuesday.

"I was just relieved to get into a new environment and get a chance to play and, that way, show that I can play and should be in this League."

Hagman gives Anaheim four Finnish players, including Olympic teammates Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Coach Randy Carlyle said he wouldn't put Hagman with Selanne and Koivu, but instead on the third line.

"We think he's a fit for our group with his work ethic and his commitment to playing the game in those dirty areas, getting inside, getting in on the forecheck," Carlyle said. "That's really what our expectations are.

"We hope, and we're gambling to some degree, that this is going to be the right place at the right time for Nik to come in."

The move is in response to Anaheim's 30th-ranked offense, and Carlyle acknowledged that they have a lot of youth on their bottom six forward unit.

"Probably desperation looking for the third line," Carlyle said. "We're putting a lot of pressure on young kids."


George Parros is wearing a visor as he recovers from laser surgery to repair a torn retina.

The noted enforcer hasn't committed to it, though. He will be out for about another two weeks and is wearing it on a trial basis.

"It's just precautionary for now," Parros said. "I haven't decided whether I'm going to wear it during game play or not."

"It's interesting to play the puck on a backhand for me with the visor line there. But I have a couple of weeks to get used to it."

Parros was struck by the puck in practice on Nov. 5, the second time he was hit in a few days.

Teammate Andrew Gordon was the culprit, and Parros joked that Gordon doesn't owe him.

"It's not his fault at all," he said. "He did buy me dinner on the road, so I took it and thanked him for it."

Here's how the lineups could look tonight when the Los Angeles Kings host the Anaheim Ducks at Staples Center:

DUCKS
Bobby Ryan - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne
Matt Beleskey - Maxime Macenauer - Andrew Gordon
Jean-Francois Jacques - Brandon McMillan - Devante Smith-Pelly

Cam Fowler - Francois Beauchemin
Toni Lydman - Kurtis Foster
Luca Sbisa - Sheldon Brookbank

Jonas Hiller
Dan Ellis

The Ducks recalled Jacques and he will likely make his regular-season debut for the team. Jacques was up with the club early this season, but had to serve a five-game suspension for leaving the bench to fight against Vancouver in the preseason.

KINGS
Simon Gagne - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams
Andrei Loktionov - Mike Richards - Dustin Brown
Kyle Clifford - Jarret Stoll - Brad Richardson
Ethan Moreau - Colin Fraser - Trevor Lewis

Jack Johnson - Drew Doughty
Willie Mitchell - Slava Voynov
Rob Scuderi - Matt Greene

Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Bernier

NHL analyst and former All-Star Jeremy Roenick will be penning a weekly blog for NHL.com this season. Look for new entries from "World According to JR" every Wednesday. Roenick will offer sharp, can't-miss opinions on What's Clicking and What's Missing in the National Hockey League.

There are two controversial issues in the National Hockey League this week and the general managers touched on both at their meeting in Toronto on Tuesday. Now it's my turn, so here are my thoughts on goalie protection and the 1-3-1:

What's clicking?

Milan Lucic

Left Wing - BOS

GOALS: 8 | ASST: 6 | PTS: 14
SOG: 33 | +/-: 6

Let's start with one of the more controversial issues in the NHL today, the Milan Lucic hit on Ryan Miller.

I don't mind the fact that Lucic didn't get a suspension. I'm a true believer in old-fashioned hockey and I do believe goalies should be protected, but they are protected in their blue paint, which is the no-touch zone. Yes, there is a rule that you can't run goaltenders, and yes, you have to protect goaltenders because there are only 60 in the League, but the goalies should also have to protect themselves.

Brayden Schenn, who fractured his foot while blocking a shot against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 26, returned Philadelphia Flyers practice Wednesday for the first time since the incident.

The 20-year-old forward was projected to miss four weeks with the injury.

Schenn skated in a limited role, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. He also wore a protective boot during the practice to protect the injury.

After missing 5 games with a groin injury, Ilya Kovalchuk will be in the New Jersey Devils lineup when they take on the Sabres in Buffalo tonight.

Kovalchuk suffered the injury on Nov. 3 against the Flyers. Mattias Tedenby will come out of the lineup as a healthy scratch.

"It's nice to be back," Kovalchuk told Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record. "It's a big game for us. We have to beat the teams ahead of us in the standings."