Canes defenseman Joni Pitkanen will skate Wednesday and could return to practice, coach Kirk Muller said Tuesday.
Pitkanen has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury.
Muller said the Canes' other injured players -- Jeff Skinner, Tim Gleason, Tim Brent and Tim Wallace -- all are "day to day." Brent did not play Monday against the Montreal Canadiens; Wallace played but did not practice Tuesday.
Skinner, Gleason and Pitkanen missed the trip to Montreal. Skinner has an upper-body injury and Pitkanen and Gleason lower-body injuries.
Muller said Gleason also might skate Wednesday, but said Skinner still was being evaluated and added "there isn't anything that tells me he's going to skate tomorrow." Skinner took some hard hits in the Toronto game Thursday.
"It'll be come in tomorrow and see where some of these guys are," Muller said. "I think Pitkanen is the only guy who has a pretty good chance to practice with us tomorrow."
The Canes practiced for about 40 minutes Tuesday, including some one-on-one work in the corners. Muller was not pleased with that aspect of their game in the 3-0 loss Monday against the Canadiens.
Jussi Jokinen continued to play the left wing on Jordan Staal's line opposite Pat Dwyer. The lines remained the same as in the Habs game, as Riley Nash and Jeremy Welsh --both callups from the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) -- centered the third and fourth lines.
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A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at