Central Division notebook:

While the Detroit Red Wings have gotten Henrik Zetterberg, Dan Cleary and Valtteri Filppula back from injury, there is an elephant sitting in the corner of the locker room. 

That elephant is the injury to defenseman Niklas Kronwall. 

Kronwall suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament on Nov. 21 in a game against the Montreal Canadiens because of a knee-to-knee hit with Georges Laraque. 

By all accounts, Kronwall should be fine. Every doctor's visit has left the Red Wings with the same prognosis: Everything is normal. 

"Everyone is frustrated because we're used to doing tests and having answers and this is a case where we're doing tests, and everything keeps showing up normal," general manager Ken Holland told reporters on Wednesday.  "...Niklas can do certain drills, but when he does other things, it hurts him, and he can't do them. All the tests, all the scans, show everything is normal ... So the only conclusion we can make is that we need to give it more time." 

Kronwall is one of three Detroit defensemen currently on the shelf, with Andreas Lilja out indefinitely with post-concussion symptoms and Jonathan Ericsson close to returning from a knee injury of his own. 

The difference with Kronwall, however, is the defensive presence he brings to the  game.

Last season, Kronwall was fifth on the team with 96 hits, and led the team in blocked shots with 109. This season Kronwall is fourth on the team in blocked shots (31) despite only playing 21 games. 

His shot-blocking presence is an important facet of the Red Wings' defense and integral for a team that hasn't had a stabilizing presence in net this season until the recent emergence of Jimmy Howard. 

As Holland recounted, Kronwall spent Wednesday morning working out at Joe Louis Arena prior to his afternoon appointment with a nerve specialist. Kronwall told team trainer Piet van Zant it was the best workout he's had in a long time. 

While the Red Wings have been surging of late, despite a 6-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday, they still remain one point out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Kronwall is just one piece to the puzzle, but he is an important one.

"We're hoping he feels better tomorrow," Holland said. "That this is day one of better days."

Ericsson is expected to return Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes in Detroit. 

CHICAGO

Injured forwards Dave Bolland and Adam Burish both skated on Tuesday. The organization is hopeful that Bolland will return to action at some point before the Olympic break in mid-February. Burish is still expected to be out until March with a torn ACL. ... The Blackhawks rewarded president John McDonough for his role in turning the franchise around with a long-term contract extension. The extension will run through 2016. ... After dropping back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday, the team is not overly concerned about whether or not it  will return to form. The ‘Hawks come into Thursday's game against the Blue Jackets off of a three-day break, which the team used to work on some things in practice and rest up. ... Forward Marian Hossa was scratched in Sunday's 3-1 loss to Anaheim with a lower-body injury. He is expected to return to the lineup Thursday to face the Blue Jackets. 

COLUMBUS

The Blue Jackets followed a three-game winning streak with a physical loss to the St. Louis Blues. The game saw four fights in the first period, including captain Rick Nash dropping the gloves with David Backes. ... Both forward Derek Dorsett and defenseman Kris Russell will be in the lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. Dorsett has been out with a broken hand while Russell has been sidelined with a groin injury. ... Head coach Ken Hitchcock announced Wednesday that G Mathieu Garon will get his fifth straight start over struggling sophomore goaltender Steve Mason, despite being pulled after allowing three goals on nine shots in Tuesday's game. ... A 55-year old barn-shaped rink was engulfed in flames in Derek Dorsett's hometown of Kindersley, Saskatchewan on Friday. Exhibition Stadium, where Dorsett learned to skate and played his first game, burned to the ground. No deaths or injuries were reported as a reslt of the fire. 

NASHVILLE

The Preds downed the struggling Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, 5-3. Five different Predators scored goals, while Ryan Jones had a three-point night. ... D Ryan Suter was named as an alternate captain for Team USA. Suter will share the rotating alternate captaincy with Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski and New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise. Devils forward Jamie Langenbrunner will serve as the captain. ... 2006 second-round pick Blake Geoffrion is a candidate for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the best player in the NCAA. Geoffrion has 14 goals and 18 points in 19 games in his senior year at the University of Wisconsin. ... Through the season's first 24 home games, the Preds are averaging 13,511 fans per game — a 1.3 percent drop from last season's totals. In order to qualify for the NHL's revenue-sharing program, the organization needs to average 14,000 fans per game in paid attendance. ... The Predators took some time out of their busy day on Wednesday for a team-building exercise. The team scheduled an afternoon of curling at the Garrison Curling Club in Calgary, Alberta. 

ST LOUIS

Forward David Backes has certainly conformed to Team USA general manager Brian Burke's truculence ideals. In the five games since being announced as a member of Team USA, Backes has fought three members of Team Canada — Jonathan Toews, Corey Perry and Rick Nash — since the announcement. ... Former Blues goaltender Curtis Joseph retired on Tuesday afternoon in Toronto. Joseph sits second among all Blues goaltenders in games played (280), wins (137), losses (96) and save percentage (.907). Joseph ranks first in shots against (8750) and saves (7940). ... Forwards Keith Tkachuk and Paul Kariya returned to action Tuesday against the Blue Jackets. Tkachuk played 12:07 and had two penalty minutes while Kariya played 15:38 and was plus-1. ... Interim head coach Davis Payne has seemingly re-juvinated the team, re-introducing the team's trademark physical play that was seen in the second half of last season. The team has drawn 13 fighting majors in five games under Payne, compared to 28 in their first 40 games under head coach Andy Murray.

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