Fedorov’s Injury Is Area of Uncertainty

Bothered by a groin strain for several days, Sergei Fedorov had pegged Sunday for his return after missing the Mighty Ducks’ home victory over Columbus.

After a setback in the morning skate before the Ducks’ loss in Minnesota, neither Fedorov nor the team is sure when his groin will improve to the point at which he’ll be able to suit up.

The Ducks can only hope time is on their side. They don’t play the St. Louis Blues until Wednesday but there was no sign of optimism after Monday’s practice at the Savvis Center.

When asked if he knew when Fedorov might be available, Duck Coach Randy Carlyle laughed nervously and said, “Uh, no.”

“Obviously, there’s still an issue there,” he continued. “We’ll have to take it day by day and hope there’s some improvement that takes place in the next 24 hours and beyond that.”

Fedorov said the injury has been a source of frustration because it only affects him when he is skating. Rest is ideal, he said, but he’d rather be playing.

“I hurt it Monday, skated Thursday and on Saturday and Sunday, [I felt] nothing,” he said. “So obviously your hopes are up. And then you go on the ice and feel that way.

“We’re hoping it’s day to day but in my mind, it’s not really a truthful assessment because it’s really hard to predict. But we can always shoot for improvement, right?”

Fedorov is one of several veteran NHL players who have developed groin injuries in the first two weeks of the regular season. He suggested that the unprecedented 310-day lockout may be a contributing factor.

“I guess you could say it’s a possibility,” Carlyle said. “But I don’t think so. Not after the training camp he had.”

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Defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh, who has a strained chest muscle and has also missed the last two games, skated through a full practice but figures to be a game-time decision.

Ozolinsh said the injury bothers him most when he’s shooting and that he can’t take a full slap shot.

“Some things are still not very comfortable,” he said. “I don’t want to promise anything today that I can’t do tomorrow.”