Practice Notes: Trio of injured Jackets practice, show progress

BUFFALO - The days are steadily passing, and the Blue Jackets are steadily healing up.
They've still got a spate of injuries to manage, but those who are out are showing progress in their recoveries. Wednesday was another big step, as three of four injured lineup regulars practiced with the rest of the team at KeyBank Arena.
Alex Wennberg (back), Brandon Dubinsky (fractured orbital bone) and Ryan Murray (upper body) each dressed in full gear and took part in drills during a lengthy practice that followed a bus ride from Toronto to Buffalo.
Later in the day, Wennberg was activated off injured reserve and will be available Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m., Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports Go, CD102.5 FM).
"It's just good to get the guys on the ice skating with the team," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "I'm sure it's better for them to be around the guys."

Wennberg and Murray were unavailable after practice, but Dubinsky met with reporters and said his issue is still going to take some time to fully heal. After fracturing the orbital bone to the outside of his left eye in a fight Dec. 12 against the Edmonton Oilers' Zack Kassian, Dubinsky needed surgery to install plates in the bone and help correct his vision.
The veteran center, who's four weeks into the estimated six-to-eight-week recovery time following surgery, said his vision is back to 20/20. He feels good otherwise, but hasn't been cleared to return.
"The bones were broken, and they had to go in there and fix it, because there were vision issues," he said. "It's getting better, and I'm getting better. It's going to be a frustrating little while here, because I feel like I'm ready, but I have to stay away from the contact, and the games and everything else. It's just part of it, I guess."
Dubinsky said he knew the fight was going to happen, prior to taking a face-off in the defensive zone late in the third period of the Blue Jackets' 7-2 loss to the Oilers a Nationwide Arena.
"I knew it was coming," he said. "I wasn't caught by surprise. I guess he surprised me by the fact he just threw right away. A lot of guys grab and go. He just threw. Some people were kind of bickering about it, or some have their own opinion, but I was willing to do it. I dropped my gloves, and he caught me. Sometimes that happens."
The injury, he said, was a fluke occurrence.
"You know, a majority of the time, 99 percent of the time, the result isn't what it turned out to be," Dubinsky said. "He could probably grab someone and have him stand there and punch them 100 times, and I don't know if they're going to tear both of their eyelids in half and break their whole face. So, it's just the way it goes."
As for Wennberg, his back is clearly feeling better. The 23-year old center skated hard during practice and showed no signs of soreness in his back, moving fluidly throughout the on-ice session. Getting him back could be a nice boost to the Jackets' offensive punch, which has taken a drop since losing him, Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson (foot fracture).
Since losing Wennberg and Dubinsky, who are centers, the Blue Jackets have tried using Boone Jenner in the middle. He's done well at the face-off dot, but Tortorella said defensive-zone coverage was something that needed work.
It will be interesting to see how Columbus arranges its forwards if Wennberg plays.
The Blue Jackets could opt to move Jenner back to his usual spot at left wing, which would likely keep speedy Jordan Schroeder at center on the fourth line. Tortorella could also use Jenner as his third-line center, move Schroeder to left wing on the second or third line and move Lukas Sedlak back to center of the fourth line.
Rookie Sonny Milano didn't practice, after sustaining an upper-body injury on a hit by Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Andreas Borgman on Monday at Air Canada Centre, so there might be a vacancy at left wing on either the second or third line.
Schroeder filled that role in the third period against the Maple Leafs and played well, utilizing his speed effectively. Schroeder didn't get credit for the Blue Jackets' first of two late goals that forced the game beyond regulation time in their 3-2 overtime victory, but it started with a shot by him.
"He sparked us, I thought," Tortorella said. "He ends up with a chance 5-on-5 when he beats a guy wide, throws a puck on the net, we score a goal, had a couple other chances that he shot wide … he beats [Auston Matthews] in the 3-on-3, has a great chance there. I thought he gave us some juice with his speed and was around the puck."
News & Notes
DUBINSKY GETTING USED TO SHIELD
Dubinsky said he's under doctor's orders to wear a plastic visor on his helmet, which he hadn't done prior to the eye injury.
The shield might also be a permanent fixture for the 12-year NHL veteran, who was one of the few players in the league to go without one.
"I don't really have a choice," he said. "I've played in tournaments and worn them before. It just takes a little time. It gets a little annoying when the sweat's dripping down on that visor, and you have to try and wipe it off. Other than that, it's alright."
TRAVELING MAN
Until the news about Wennberg was released, it looked like veteran forward Zac Dalpe might get back into a game for the Blue Jackets as their fourth-line center.
Dalpe, 28, hasn't played with Columbus since Nov. 6 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Dalpe took one of three penalties that led to power-play goals for the Rangers in the third period of that game. His infraction was the result of retaliation for a hit he didn't think was legal, and he appeared to be injured from it. Dalpe missed the next five games with an injury, before being assigned to Cleveland.
The past couple weeks, with the Blue Jackets down three key forwards, Dalpe has gone back and forth between Cleveland and the Blue Jackets - regardless of where Columbus has played. The travel schedule is tough, but he's not complaining.
"You can look at it that way [as frustrating], and you can look at it as you're still in the NHL," he said. "Whatever kind of light you want to shed on it, for me, I don't get frustrated. I'm in the NHL. It's kind of a tougher way to make an easy living, as far as that goes, but I'm 28 … and to have your name still be called and a plane ticket booked to go join a team somewhere isn't a bad thing."
It's happened quite a bit recently, playing for the Monsters and then returning quickly to be a healthy scratch for the Blue Jackets.
"My fiancée, one day I told her I was in Colorado when I was in Chicago," he said, chuckling. "It was such a whirlwind that I was like, 'Wait, I was in Colorado yesterday.' She was like, 'Where are you now?' I was like, I think I'm in Colorado,' and I was at Chicago O'Hare. It's definitely not the easiest thing. I went to eight cities in six days, and not close together cities, either, as far as distance."
There is one nice perk to all the travel, though. Dalpe said he's loading up on airline rewards.
"That's what everyone keeps asking me, 'Are you cashing in?'" he said. "I'm kicking myself, because as a young guy, early on in my career, I did a lot of up and down, and I never signed up for it. Now, I've got all the airlines. My fiancée will be happy when I say, 'Hey, we've got a free trip around the world.'"
MATISS WAS HERE
Rookie goalie Matiss Kivlenieks joined the team in Toronto, after being recalled Tuesday from the Cleveland Monsters. Kivlenieks was called up to fill in for Joonas Korpisalo, who was assigned to Cleveland just to get an American Hockey League start in Wednesday in Milwaukee.
Kivlenieks bused from Toronto to Buffalo and took part in practice, like he did last Saturday in Columbus under the same circumstances. Kivlenieks, 21, is splitting time with the Monsters, playing his first season of professional hockey.
He's expected to be reassigned to Cleveland in time for Korpisalo to be recalled for the game in Buffalo on Thursday.