Quick skates, Fraser recovers, line rushes

Good morning from the Master Card Centre in suburban Toronto, where the Kings are starting to trickle onto the ice for Friday’s practice. Following today’s skate, the team will fly to Ottawa in advance of Saturday’s game, which will begin at 11:00 a.m. PT.

After reporting yesterday, members of the Canadian World Junior team are currently having their photos taken at this sprawling, modern facility 20 minutes west of downtown.

As expected, Jonathan Quick took the ice yesterday at Toyota Sports Center with Goaltender Development Kim Dillabaugh and Ontario Reign goalie Mathias Niederberger, who is also recovering from a groin injury. It was the first time he skated since suffering a Grade 2 groin strain on November 12 in Buffalo. There isn’t a precise timetable for his return, though his presence on the ice represents a step forward in his recovery.

I spoke briefly with Colin Fraser prior to practice. He noted that he felt “a lot better” today after leaving Wednesday’s game in Toronto after weathering a heavy hit by Frazer McLaren near the Toronto bench. He is not practicing.

Line rushes at Friday’s practice:

Dwight King – Anze Kopitar – Jeff Carter
Dustin Brown – Jarret Stoll – Justin Williams
Kyle Clifford – Mike Richards – Tyler Toffoli
Daniel Carcillo – Linden Vey – Jordan Nolan
Trevor Lewis – Matt Frattin

Defensive alignments have been in flux this morning with seven healthy defensemen. After going through a rotation with the same pairings that have been used recently, pairings have changed throughout the morning.