*** Injury Updates ***

Following the injury trail


By JONATHAN HUNTINGTON, March 13, 2007

LOS ANGELES -- Jan Hejda is moving from the injured list to the finished list.

It appears the young defenceman is out for the rest of the season with a left shoulder injury suffered last week against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Rexall Place.

But with the Edmonton Oilers returning home today, there is a very good chance Ales Hemsky (collarbone), Mathieu Roy (concussion) and Marty Reasoner (shoulder) will soon return to action.

"Those are the three guys that look like they are progressing, and maybe we get them back sometime later on in the week or early next week," said head coach Craig MacTavish yesterday afternoon.

The Oilers host Minnesota on Thursday in the first of six straight games at Rexall Place, the final homestand of the year.

MacTavish didn't have a clear update on Steve Staios's progress on his left knee injury.

But the news isn't good on Jarret Stoll or Daniel Tjarnqvist.

"He is still not great," said MacTavish on Stoll, who has missed 18 straight games with a concussion.

"I'd love to see him be in a position health wise that he can play some games before the season is over.

"But obviously that is going to be dependent on how he recuperates and how long he is symptom free from the concussions that he took."

Tjarnqvist is likely done for the year with an inflamed pubic bone.

"I think so," said MacTavish when asked if the defenceman was out for the duration of the season.

"But you never know."

Tom Gilbert has resumed light exercising after suffering a concussion 10 games ago, but he hasn't resumed skating.

There is light at the end of the tunnel for Ethan Moreau, who still has a very good chance of returning to play before the end of the year.

"The timetable should permit him to play some games," said MacTavish.