Great new. Can’t wait to see him back on the ice. Also can’t wait to see Clarkson on the same line with him.

And even better news that he’s playing wing and not center!

he can pay his doctor bills with the money we are paying him. All kidding aside…the sooner he is back isn’t necessarily the better. With an injury (operation) like this it’s better for him to take longer than just push it and re-injure himself. Not to mention the Devils once again are finding ways to win (on the road) with the current anemic line up. I say anemic (injuries aside) because I still think the fourth line situation is a disaster. They have been somewhat better but I foresee them being outplayed by a majority of other teams fourth units.

YES! This is the best news all week for me! Go Devils!

Lou will go a long way before he confesses that Pikkarainin and PL3 are a mistake.

I think Elias should take as much time as needed to get back into form. It doesn’t make sense to give him limited minutes or stick him on a fourth line for a game or two; where other teams will, well, also throw out their fourth lines and battle Elias. I think next week may be more likely.

By the way, don’t you love how our hockey team values guys like Peters, Leblond and Pikkarainen over a kid like Halischuk, apparently?)

I really don’t think that’s a true statement for the reasons drhgzang brought up. Lemaire has shown that his fourth line is an “energy line” and Halischuk doesn’t suit that role well. He was bound to go down to Lowell when Elias returns because he won’t have to pass through waivers, whereas the other three do with their NHL contracts.

Moreover, per CapGeek, Halischuk’s NHL salary would have been $587,000 had he stay up the whole season. Which is more than the $500,000 NHL minimum salaries that Peters and Pikkarainen signed and the $525,000 salary Leblond’s getting. So…technically, the Devils do value Halischuk more – he just needs to make it in NJ first. :)