Justin Faulk: Won't play Thursday

Faulk (leg) will not join the Hurricanes on their upcoming trip to Ottawa on Thursday. "We are going to be smart about this," coach Bill Peters said.

Analysis:

While the news officially rules out Faulk for Thursday's game against the Senators, he hasn't been dismissed as an option Friday, when the team returns home to take on the Sharks. However, Peters stressed that they are going to make sure they handle the blueliner's situation correctly to avoid further damage, and the team has no reason to rush him back. It's probably best to consider him questionable for Friday's game at this point, but the team should update his status again as the date approaches. In the meantime, the Hurricanes will continue to run with their six other healthy defensemen.