Smyth update

Ryan Smyth will skate on Monday morning for the first time since suffering his upper-body injury, Terry Murray said after today’s morning skate. Smyth, based on the initial four-week estimate, might be able to return on or around Dec. 14, when the Kings play at Vancouver. The Kings also play Dec. 15 at Edmonton and Dec. 17 at Calgary before an eight-day break.

MURRAY: He’s going to start to skate on Monday. That will be his first time at it. He feels good. He’s walking around much more relaxed and without any pain. I think, with him, you’ve got to be careful not to let him do too much and get into a situation where he might injure himself again. But he’s going to get on the ice and start to do stuff. But off the ice, in the last little while, he has been riding the bike. He’s hungry to keep himself going so that, when he gets the green light to get going, he’s going to step in and not miss a step.”

Murray was adamant that Smyth would not return ahead of schedule, and said he wasn’t certain if Smyth would be able to return before the holiday break.

MURRAY: “That’s going to be up to the doctor. That’s not going to be me speculating on anything. The doctor will have to sit down and talk and evaluate and go from there.”