Predators' Jones to miss first game of season

NASHVILLE -- Rookie defenseman Seth Jones, who was the only member of the Nashville Predators to play in every game this season, will miss his first game, due to concussion-like symptoms, Tuesday when the Predators host the Colorado Avalanche at Bridgestone Arena.

Jones sustained the injury Sunday in a 2-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks when he was on the receiving end of a hard body check along the boards. He logged a season-low 5:48 of ice time and did not return. In his place will be Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto was a healthy scratch for two of the past three games and played 3:13 in the one he did play when Nashville dressed seven defensemen.

Nashville also has a game Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres but it is unlikely Jones will play in that game either.

Coach Barry Trotz said the Predators would be careful with Jones, the fourth pick of the 2013 NHL Draft.

"With him we're going to be very cautious," Trotz said. "Good young player who's got a long and I think a very good career ahead of him. We'll make sure he's fully healthy. Our training staff will do that. We're not going to put him in a situation that's going to have any effects on him later."

Trotz also said he wants Del Zotto, who Nashville acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers for veteran defenseman Kevin Klein in January, to be more consistent.

Center Paul Gaustad (upper body) will miss his third straight game Tuesday and also is unlikely to play Thursday. Forward Patrick Eaves (upper body) also will miss his third straight game, but could return Thursday.

Right wing Filip Forsberg, who was called up from the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis Sunday, was returned to Milwaukee on Tuesday. Forsberg played because Patric Hornqvist missed the game because of the birth of his child. Hornqvist will be back in the lineup Tuesday.

Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said that defenseman Tyson Barrie, after two games at forward, would go back to playing his customary defense.

Roy said he initially made the move because of an injury to Paul Stastny, which left the Avalanche short of forwards. Barrie, who seemed relieved to be going back to defense, logged 19:03 and 17:26 of time on ice, respectively, in his two games at forward. He recorded an assist and went plus-1 in the first game and was even in the second without a point.

Here are the lineups the Avalanche and Predators likely will use Tuesday:

AVALANCHE

Ryan O'Reilly – Matt Duchene – Jamie McGinn

Gabriel Landeskog – Paul Stastny – Nathan MacKinnon

Cody McLeod – Marc-Andre Cliche - Maxime Talbot

Patrick Bordeleau – Brad Malone – Paul Carey

Jan Hejda – Erik Johnson

Nick Holden – Tyson Barrie

Andre Benoit – Cory Sarich

Semyon Varlamov

Jean-Sebastien Giguere

Scratched: Nate Guenin, Reto Berra, Ryan Wilson

Injured: John Mitchell (back), PA Parenteau (knee)

PREDATORS

Matt Cullen - Mike Fisher - Patric Hornqvist

Gabriel Bourque - Calle Jarnkrok - Craig Smith

Eric Nystrom - Colin Wilson - Nick Spaling

Rich Clune - Colton Sissons - Viktor Stalberg

Roman Josi - Shea Weber

Michael Del Zotto - Ryan Ellis

Mattias Ekholm - Victor Bartley

Pekka Rinne

Carter Hutton

Injured: Paul Gaustad (upper body), Patrick Eaves (upper body), Seth Jones (concussion-like symptoms)