The injured list is about to get a bit shorter for the Halifax Mooseheads.
Defenceman Cameron Whynot is likely to return to the lineup for the team's upcoming home game against the Saint John Sea Dogs and goalie Alexis Gravel and forward Jeffrey Burridge aren't far behind.
Whynot missed the last game of the team's recent road trip to Quebec with an undisclosed upper body injury, while Gravel (foot) and Burridge (finger) have both been out since the end of September.
"(Whynot's) day to day so there's a good chance he'll be back by Thursday," Halifax general manager Cam Russell said on Monday. "Burridge is also close. He's day to day too. Gravel is anywhere from four days to a week away."
"I don't think he'll be back for Thursday and Friday, but possibly for Monday and Tuesday's games," Russell added. "We'll know more in the next couple of days."
That leaves forward Cole Foston and defenceman Jared McIsaac as the only two players out for longer periods. Russell said Foston (knee) is still two-to-four weeks away and McIsaac (shoulder) remains on a late-November track.
"McIsaac is still in Detroit doing his rehab," Russell said of the Red Wings second-round pick. "He's been skating for the last month so as soon as he's closer to being ready to practise with the team, he'll be back here."
McIsaac has also been doing more strength and mobility work with the Wings and reports are he is progressing well.
"They're not going to rush him and we don't want to rush him, either," Russell said. "We'll all wait until he's 100 per cent and then he'll be back in."
Following their game against the Sea Dogs (3-4-0-0), the Mooseheads (3-4-0-0) travel to Moncton to face the Wildcats (5-2-0-0) on Friday. Moncton just welcomed star overage forward Jeremy McKenna back to the team this week. He finished fifth in QMJHL scoring last season with 97 points in 68 games.
The Mooseheads also play the Val-d'Or Foreurs (1-4-2-0) in an afternoon game on Sunday, followed by a road game against the Charlottetown Islanders (5-0-2-0) on Monday.
Also, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles forward Ryan Francis was named the QMJHL's player of the week on Monday. The 17-year-old from Beaver Bank had two goals and seven assists in three road games. His best performance was one goal and four assists in a 7-2 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Friday. He was also plus-6 in that game.
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