Hartsburg Still Uncertain When Kariya Will Return

Paul Kariya went for another light skate Sunday, inching closer to a return later this week to the Duck lineup.

Exactly when Kariya will play in a game is uncertain, however. He missed his seventh consecutive game because of a bruised right foot Sunday against the Nashville Predators.

“I’m not ruling him out or ruling him in,” Coach Craig Hartsburg said when asked if he believed Kariya might play Wednesday against the New York Rangers.

“Wednesday is a long way away. It’s hard to say at this point. He’s feeling better each day. I don’t think at this point we’re going to be able to say, ‘It’s going to be this day.’ ”

After another easy skate on his own today, it’s expected that Kariya will participate in his first full practice Tuesday.

Kariya was injured blocking a shot Feb. 16 by Calgary defenseman Derek Morris. Kariya played two nights later against the San Jose Sharks but hasn’t practiced since Feb. 19.

“It’s ideal for any player to practice at least once [before playing in a game],” Hartsburg said. “He’s going to skate [today]. He’s going to practice Tuesday. At this point, I don’t know when he’ll play. We’ll see how it goes [today].”

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Defenseman Niclas Havelid also is expected to practice Tuesday for the first time since suffering a broken right middle finger Jan. 15.

Unlike Kariya, who might return to the lineup after only one practice, Havelid will probably need at least a week before playing again.

“You don’t just miss two months as a first-year player and come back,” Hartsburg said of Havelid, a 26-year-old rookie. “We’ve got to make sure we put him in a situation he’s ready for.”

Havelid agreed.

“I think I’ll need a little more time,” he said. “I need to practice. I need to find my tempo and my timing. My conditioning is fine. It’s tough to set up a goal [for a return date]. Right now, I’m day to day.”